Blood and Chocolate II: Bound by Duty for Life
by Patty08
Summary: There's no happily ever after for a loupgarou, is there? This story picks right up where Blood and Chocolate left off. Please review! NEW CHAPTER now posted.
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Blood and Chocolate II: Bound by Duty for Life.**

Disclaimer: I did not invent these characters, or the setting. I'd like to thank Annette Curtis Klause for that.

Chapter 1

And for the first time in a long time, peace had come to those living on Sion Road, in the run down house in Riverview. Esmé and Tomas sat on plastic lawn chairs, watching and laughing at a golden haired girl and a dark haired male arguing in the front of a black truck parked halfway across the lawn. Vivian slapped her hands against the steering wheel, and turned to face Gabriel. "No! You're wrong! I can't do this! And this steering wheel's being a bitch. I'm not going to be ready in time, and you're leaving soon." Gabriel smiled his slowly curving smile, which made Vivian even more upset, and she looked out the driver's side window at the grey blue Maryland sky.

"Why are you angry? It's not the steering wheel's fault, you know."

"Don't patronize me. I already told you. I can't turn all the way around to reverse this damn truck and not hit something, and be worried about the steering wheel at the same time."

"Vivian, that's not the problem. What's wrong?" His icy blue eyes were gentle and calmed her down. Vivian clutched at the steering wheel as her pulse began to race and tears blurred the sky and the road into one grey blue smear.

"I don't want you to leave. I know you have to, to go get the papers ready for the big move, but I… I just don't think I… I can't handle all of this without you." Esmé and Tomas realized there was more than a driving lesson going on in the car, and they got up and retreated to the living room couch. Gabriel reached his hand across the seat, and stroked it across her face gently wiping a tear that was streaking down her cheek.

"Yes you can. I need you to be strong for me, my beautiful _loup-garou_ queen." He leaned over and took her face in both of his hands, kissing the tears away. Vivian grinned at his low rumbling growl, and laughed when he got louder. She pulled away and put the key back into the ignition.

"You don't scare me wolf-man." Vivian shifted it to D, drove out of the lawn, and reversed it slowly back into the garage, directly in front of a pair of Harleys left there by other members of the clan. Gabriel got out of the truck, measured the distance from the bikes, smiled, and held a thumbs-up before walking to the driver's side and taking Vivian by the waist and getting her down from the truck. "I don't need your help you know."

"I'm not doing this to help you. I just like having you in my arms." His throaty growl became an inviting purr and Vivian flushed and ran into the house, up the stairs, and into her room, locking the door. She turned and was about to shut the window when she saw Gabriel sitting on the windowsill, with a smug grin on his face. "Not fast enough yet, I'm afraid." He wouldn't admit she was his match in speed and power, not to her face. "Written portion time. Don't pout. You have to take this test, and I have to leave in less than a week." Vivian sprawled herself face down across the bed, and looked up nodding. "A school bus ahead of you in your lane is stopped with red lights flashing. You should…?"

"Run them all over." He raised an eyebrow, and tried very hard to not laugh; she sighed and answered correctly, "stop as long as the red lights are flashing." They went back and forth with questions for half an hour, until the Five, with the obvious exception of Rafe, showed up at her house, and one of them knocked at the door to Vivian's room. Gabriel snarled as his head rolled from her taut stomach to the bed, as she opened the door.

"Hey darling, did you miss me? Your mom wants both of you downstairs for dinner."

"Thanks Will. Tell her we'll be down in a minute." Will flushed crimson as he glanced at Vivian, and back at Gabriel, fully clothed, lying face up on her bed. It was still strange to him that Vivian was now the queen bitch, and how they had settled together so easily. Ten seconds later, the couple walked down the stairs and sat at the kitchen table, with Uncle Rudy, Tomas, Esmé, and the rest of the Five.

"I'm glad you still have your appetite." Esmé snickered and handed Tomas a bowl of potato salad, from the store.

"Mom!" Vivian flushed, but smiled wide at Gabriel's bright blue eyes gazing longingly at her. The rest of dinner was a loud, messy, and entertaining haze, and finally the Five were gone, Uncle Rudy retired upstairs and the couples sat down to watch TV in the living room.

Nothing good was on. And they weren't looking to be entertained. For the past couple of days, they sat in silence watching the news for any further complications. These people were smart enough to know the danger was not over; they just didn't know what they should be afraid of. Vivian shuddered, remembering the untimely deaths of Astrid, Rafe, and Quince. Gabriel tightened his hold around her, and she could feel his steady breathing. _I'm safe now,_ she thought. Her ex-boyfriend Aiden had done well to keep his mouth shut, but she still felt a small pang of hurt when she thought about him. _At least I don't have to go back to school. In a few days I'm done with this hell hole called Maryland. _

"We have to get going, the moon is out" said Gabriel, his voice a comforting rumble in her ears. Esmé was practically glowing as she winked at her daughter, while the pair walked out the door. Vivian slung her over the seat of the black Harley and pressed herself to her mate's back, breathing in his rich and now familiar scent. They rode down to the river and ran as _loup-garou_ together under the moon.

It was still a new and exciting thrill to run with careless abandon through the long grass, and feel the earth shake a few steps behind her. Gabriel's dark fur and muscles rippled with the exertion of trying to catch up with his mate, who would eternally be just a few steps ahead of him. Eventually her muscles began to tighten and her breath came out in ragged gasps. She didn't know where they where, but the searing pain in her lungs made her laying down and pant heavily to catch her breath. She felt herself being pulled up by the scruff on the back of her neck and pulled onto the back of a large and god like creature. Gabriel purred contentedly as she half changed and pulled on his fur. He ran faster and faster until they reached the Harley and rode to his apartment.

Bucky's apartment was dark, and when they stumbled into Gabriel's apartment, the clock on the wall flashed three a.m. Vivian took a shower and changed into one of his oversized shirts, and he poured them glasses of water. Then Gabriel took a shower and changed into cotton pajama pants and they lay down on his bed. She ran her fingers through his still wet hair, listening to his breath slow down and his pulse race. This time it was Vivian who purred happily as he kissed her hands softly. She longed to make him her lover, but it was best if they waited until they were totally free.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured, his voice velvet against her neck.

"I'm thinking I'm exhausted, and should go to sleep now." He snarled and nipped at her neck, biting it with his fangs. She laughed and kissed him as ardently as the first time. _This is enough for now. I love him. _She didn't feel strange saying it out loud anymore, and as far as she knew, they were the only ones in the pack that actually said that to each other. "I love you" she whispered, and he paused and looked at her, his eyes drunk with desire, but they smiled suddenly.

"I love you too," he murmured.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Annette Curtis Klause invented these characters, and this setting. So here it goes… the second chapter. Please review._

Chapter 2

Willem, Gregory, Finn and Ulf were waiting for Vivian to come home with Uncle Rudy from the DMV. Esmé and Tomas were in the kitchen making popcorn and getting a six-pack of coke for the movie night, when Vivian walked into the cool and dimly lit house grinning from ear to ear. The rest of the Five got up and crowded around Vivian, wanting to see the little piece of plastic that was her license. When they clapped and whistled low, Esmé walked in dropping the cokes onto the table and marched to her daughter's side to admire the picture. "Are you posing? Vivian!"

Uncle Rudy chuckled and took a look at the picture. Her golden hair was tumbling from a ponytail, and her head was leaning a little to the right, and she was smiling and pouting slightly. This looked like a model's headshot more than a driver's license picture.

"Those poor guys down at the DMV, they didn't stand a chance. She could've passed the test with her eyes closed, with how much the instructor wasn't paying attention." Vivian smirked and remembered the pitiable guy's face and his rapid heartbeat as she sped up to just under the speed limit. Vivian grabbed a coke and let the little bubbles fizz on her top lip before taking a sip. She looked around, and her shoulders fell slightly. Gabriel hadn't been with her to take the test; he needed to go get the papers to have them signed in Vermont, but he promised he would be back soon. Everyone crowded into the living room to watch some incredibly gory old movie. Gregory and Willem sat on either side of her, and kept smushing in closer and closer to annoy her, but she was excited enough she didn't care. Finn and Ulf were sprawled out on the floor, and Tomas and Esmé were sitting on the loveseat next to her. Uncle Rudy sat at the dinner table drinking a beer.

The dark haired girl on the TV was running for her life when, surprise surprise, she trips over some rock or twig thing on the floor and the beast jumps out of nowhere to rip her leg off with a horrible crunch and gushes and gushes of blood. The _loup-garoux _in the room weren't horrified however, they were howling with laughter. Vivian got up from the sofa to go make some more popcorn when a tall man with dark hair and wide shoulders entered through the front door, beaming.

He walked up to her and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her close while she held onto his neck to keep from falling. Recently, the very sight of him made her legs turn to jelly. The others didn't seem to notice them. Or maybe they just weren't going to admit to how much they liked their alpha-male and female together. "How did it go?" he whispered in her ear, while she pulled out her license from the back pocket of her jeans and showed it to him. He continued holding her up, with one hand around her waist, and looked at the license in his other hand. She felt his low chuckle through her arms. "Nice picture, I must say. This will get you out of any ticket for sure." He bit at her neck, softly, causing Vivian to grin and press her lips to his for only a second. But of course, Gabriel wasn't going to act like a normal person. He bit her bottom lip and made her breathe in sharply before letting her down back onto the seat. The rest of the Five were grinning, and her mom was flushing with pride. "Let's go out."

"Go out? Why?"

"Because I said so, that's why. We're going out to celebrate!" he announced. Esmé and Tomas grumbled, but Uncle Rudy got up and went to go put his boots back on. "You heard me. We're all going down to Tooley's to celebrate Vivian's license." Everyone got up and made their way to the front. The rest of the Five piled into the back of the black truck, Esmé rode with Tomas in the back of his red Harley, and Uncle Rudy got into his vintage Harley. Gabriel got in next to Vivian, and watched her turn the ignition on.

"I can't focus if you keep staring at me like that." He protested silently, and forced himself to look out at the front, to avoid staring at his mate. Vivian made her way down to Tooley's effortlessly, without speeding up too much, and best of all, without hitting anything.

Tooley's was packed with random visitors and the rest of the pack. They celebrated Vivian's license with free drinks, "on the house" from Gabriel, and a free round of burgers, rare, for the pack from Esmé. People were laughing and singing to an Oingo Boingo song on the jukebox, and various couples had gotten up to dance together. Vivian was nervous about dancing with Gabriel. He didn't seem like the kind to dance with anyone, but he proved her wrong, yet again.

"My party is moving outside" he stated with an amused look in his eyes, and the members of the pack gathered outside and drove to the wildlife reserve grounds, to shed their clothes and celebrate as _loup-garoux_ running free under the moon and stars. Aunt Persia and Esmé were running next to Vivian, for a little while, until Vivian picked up speed and only Gabriel could catch up to her. Vivian howled with pleasure at everyone's happiness and the promise of getting to run free together again in Vermont.

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Vivian yawned, rolled over, and got further tangled in white cotton sheets. _They smell like him, _she thought. But when she opened her eyes, he wasn't there anymore. He had left to Vermont yesterday, and would be back in two days. Vivian had spent most of the day lying in his bed, willing two days to pass as quickly as possible, and nursing a hangover. _Get a grip Vivian, he's only gone for two days, _she thought as she drove back to her house.

Esmé stared at her daughter as she slumped down onto the sofa in a stupor. "Get up from that sofa Vivian. Girl, he's only gone for two days! Get up right now, and quit being so selfish." Vivian sprang up from the sofa, to face her mom.

"Don't you talk to me about being selfish." Esmé winced, remembering the fits she used to get into when her husband died. "I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean it." Vivian got up and walked outside, jamming the keys into the ignition. _I need to get out of this house. I'm losing it. Moon goddess, please let him be safe. _

The truck was running low, so she stopped at the nearest gas station to fill it up. Her stomach flipped a somersault when she recognized the yellow Volkswagen in front of her. _It's been almost a month since the shooting._ Aiden walked out of the gas station holding a plastic bag which contained a bottle of Dr. Pepper and a can of Pringles. She memorized the color of his green paisley shirt and the way his hair flicked with the wind. _This may be the last time I get to see him._ His constant grin faded, and he paused dead in his tracks when he saw her leaning against the side of a big black truck. Vivian flinched when she noticed him looking around in a panic.

"No one's here. I can fill up a gas tank by myself." She wished she didn't sound so harsh and cold. Aiden gazed down at the ground, probably out of shame. He walked up to Vivian but stopped a few feet in front of her, just to be safe.

"How are you?"

"I'm going to be fine. And you?"

"I'm okay. Look Vivian, I'm so sorry that whole thing happened. I just- I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Vivian wanted to talk to him about everything, to joke about their last year at school, and apologize to the Amoeba. But Kelly came out of the gas station, and walked up to Aiden, holding his hand and standing in front of him protectively. _You wish you could protect him from someone like me._

"Goodbye Vivian."

"Bye Aiden."

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The sun was shining and the blue gray sky was mostly cloudless. Esmé and her daughter were sitting out on the porch together on the lawn chairs, watching Will and Gregory wrestling out front. Then a blond haired male came running up to the house, glistening with sweat, his shirt mostly stuck onto him. "What's wrong Tomas?" Vivian's heart started pounding hard against her chest. She feared the worst.

_"_You need to get down to Aunt Persia's right now." Tomas was breathing heavily and ran back down the street from where had come from. _Damn! Not now! There's only one more day. _Vivian made her way down to Aunt Persia's as fast as she could, and opened the door. The room was stifling hot and several of the pack females were holding down a red head that was squirming around. _She's pregnant. _Vivian's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. _She's going to have the baby right now! _Aunt Persia came out of the kitchen holding cloths and a hot water bottle.

"What do you want me to do?" she ran to Aunt Persia's side and started folding out the cloths and dipping them into the hot water.

"Nothing, sweetness. You're the queen now. You need to sit here and watch, and learn." Vivian struggled for breath as she watched the child being born. It was a lot more graphic than she could've imagined. The child lay in its mother's arms changing for a while. It couldn't decide what it wanted to be just yet. Sweat was streaming down Vivian's back from the open fire and the collective heat in the room. Some woman howled with delight, and the rest of them took up the cry. "You've just witnessed the miracle of birth. As queen bitch, you have to wish something for the child."

"I wish for it to see a peaceful world where it can be what it was born to be." Vivian caught her breath as she realized what she had just muttered. _Maybe this leader thing grows on you. _Vivian howled.

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The next day, Vivian was sitting outside on the porch, watching the red headed mother cradle her baby girl as Esmé told her all she knew about being a mother, when the roar of a motorcycle came towards them louder and louder. The child hadn't stirred from it sleep, and both mother's laughed. Vivian recognized the broad shoulders and sparkling blue eyes as soon as he stepped off the bike, and started running towards him, like she hadn't seen him in years.

Gabriel had barely turned around when his mate pounced on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and tangling her fingers in his hair. He laughed and kissed her enough to make up for his absence. "Maybe I should leave more often" he murmured, as he let her down onto the concrete. "Everything is set. The inn and the land look like a postcard, and there's so much green everywhere, and so much running space, and you should see how close the moon gets, close enough to touch it with your open hand." Vivian could see their future through his eyes, and her insides coiled with excitement. They walked towards the old house, arm around waist, and everyone followed.

They had a noisy crowd at the dinner table, as Gabriel told everyone about their new home, at the land they had just purchased next to the next to the Green Mountain National Forest. The inn was a bit of a fixer-upper, but it was just as promising as the land. Finally, after almost two hours of excited talking, the guests returned to their own houses, and everyone went to sleep, to dream about the future. Vivian sat upright on his bed, stroking his hair for a long time. He got up suddenly, and looked at her square in the eyes. "How did everything here go? No incidents?"

"Everything here was just fine. I was worried for a while about the Five acting up. We had a birth while you were gone. It was nothing short of amazing." Vivian noticed the hopeful look in his eyes. He was imagining their marriage, and one day, their own children. She smiled and kissed him, bringing him back to reality with a happy growl.

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U-Haul trucks were in front of a select few houses, including Uncle Rudy's, and Aunt Persia's. It would've been suspicious if a whole crowd had decided to up and move on the same day, so they were leaving in intervals of a week. Uncle Rudy had already decided he wasn't going to move, but visit often, and Vivian said goodbye to him with a knot in her throat and tears brimming her eyes. She wiped them away as she slung her leg over the seat of Gabriel's Harley, clutching to him to stop trembling. Esmé and Tomas were in her black truck riding behind the U-haul, behind Gabriel. As they rode, sadness was quickly replaced with joy as her future crept closer. The night sky enveloped the pair, and Vivian let out a small howl. Gabriel laughed above the roar of the engine, and squeezed one of the slender hands that wrapped around his waist.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews! Just to let you know though, this is NOT my writing style; it's modeled after Annette Curtis Klause's, and these characters and the setting are hers also. A good fanfic should feel like a continuation to the story, if that's possible, so this is my attempt at it. Please keep the reviews coming! Also, if anyone knows Gabriel's last name… PLEASE send it to me on a review. _

Chapter 3

A young couple walked into the large and very comfortably furnished house, which looked more like an old world manor than a house, and walked up to the front desk. A round faced boy with a name tag that read, "Willem" handed the smiling brunette a brochure while she waited to be attended.

**Welcome to the High Country Inn and Suites**

**Owner(s):** Gabriel and Vivian  
**We Accept:** American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard and Checks  
**Price Range:** US$125 (US Dollars)

**Location:** Mountains/Country

**Amenities:** Hot tub/Jacuzzi, Smoking and non-smoking rooms available upon request, Private porch with scenic view, Stocked refrigerators, Full breakfast, Sitting room/library and television in room

**Winter Sports:** Snowmobiling, Sledding, Skiing

**Sight - Seeing:**, Art/Historical site/district, various galleries and Museum

**Daredevil Sports:** Mountain climbing

**Other Sports:** Hunting and Golf

**Out In The Town:** Crafts, Farmers market, Concerts, Movie cinemas, Theatre, Shopping district and Antique shops/malls

**Out In Nature:** Nature reserves, stargazing/bird watching, hiking groups available upon request

"Alright, how can I help you?"

"We have a reservation for three nights here."

"Okay and your last name is…"

"Smith. It's under Jonathan." Willem punched a couple of keys into the computer and printed out a receipt.

"Here you go. Sign here, and here. This is your key. Your room is upstairs and down the hall, number 53. Have a good day."

The couple smiled wide and held hands. They had had to reserve this room three weeks in advance, but it was well worth it. The inn was one of the most talked about places around, with it scenic views right next to the Green Mountain National Forest.

"I'm sorry… Willem… do you think we could get to meet the owners?" Willem was used to their curiosity. Obviously the owners had to be doing something right to attract so much attention.

"Yeah, no problem." He pulled out a walky-talky and dialed number 2. "Viv, there are some guests down here that want to meet you." A woman's muffled voice answered him, and Willem went back to typing on the computer. "She'll be down in a minute."

Just then, a young woman in blue jean overalls walked downstairs. The couple noticed her golden hair slipping out of its low ponytail and there were paint stains on her white shirt and cheek. This was the amazingly beautiful woman from the brochure, but she wasn't rich or glamorous looking like they would've expected. She held out a paint streaked hand, and the brunette shook it vigorously.

"Hi, I'm Vivian. It's nice to meet you."

"Are you painting a picture or something?" They were still confused at her disheveled appearance.

"No, I'm finishing some renovations upstairs. Is there anything I can help you with?" The guests eyed here with surprise, _the owners did their own renovating_.

"No, we're fine. We just wanted to meet you. Thanks though!" Vivian smiled and walked back up the stairs and down the hall to one of the rooms. She leaned against the doorframe and licked her lips at the sight in front of her. Gabriel was sawing a piece of wood for the headboard, and his muscles were rippling and his white shirt was stuck onto him, his hair was messy and small locks of it clung to his face making him look like a male model for hair gel. She snaked her arms around his back, breathing in his rich and wonderful scent. He purred but kept right on working.

"What did they want?"

"What else? They wanted to see some incredibly posh looking owner, and all they got was a dirty, paint streaked one." He laughed and quit working for a minute, setting the saw down onto the bench. He then turned around in her arms and picked her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist and kiss him.

"How is anything supposed to get done if you two can't concentrate?"

Gabriel snarled, "Not now little brother." Ulf laughed and set the can of paint down onto the tarp and left the room. Gabriel let Vivian down and picked up the hand saw again, getting right back to work, grinning. Vivian walked over to the tray of paint, and continued applying the beige coat onto the walls. The Five worked on the inn during the weekends, and went back to their own homes at night. Only Gabriel and Vivian lived in the Inn.

By lunch, they were almost all the way done with the room and walked down into the kitchen. The hired help were already getting to work making today's lunch. Vivian grabbed a tiny chunk of the raw lamb meat and popped it into her mouth, letting the juices spill down her hands. Gabriel handed her his glass of cold water and watched as she licked the blood off her fingers.

"What's left upstairs?" asked Esmé, pouring herself a glass of the cooking wine.

"Just the furniture. Where's Tomas?"

"He's gone to go pick up Rudy and a couple of others. Help set up the tables, please." Vivian sighed and picked up a stack of white plates and sauntered into the brightly sunlit dining room. The entire east side wall was covered in windows, and the bright greens and blues of the forest outside shone through. She put the plates down onto the tables and walked back into the kitchen as the guests came downstairs and from outside for lunch. There were at least twenty people already seated by the time lunch had officially started.

Vivian had just gotten settled with her own plate when she heard some cars pulling up outside. She dropped her fork and ran outside to greet the rest of the pack. Uncle Rudy and several of the pack members stood on the driveway, suitcases in hand, looking at the inn with open mouths and wide eyes. Vivian fondly remembered their look as her own, on her very first day here. "Welcome to the North Country Inn and Suites" she announced, and led all of them upstairs to their rooms to settle down for lunch. They pulled up several of the tables and made one long table in the middle of the room. All of the previous guests were done with lunch, and had retired or gone out for some sightseeing, so the dining room belonged to the pack.

"Where's Gabriel?" one of them asked.

"He's probably back upstairs, let me go get him." Vivian skipped up the stairs, two at a time, and walked into the room they had been working on; Gabriel was supervising a worker as he was fixing the curtains onto the rod, but turned around when Vivian ran in. "Everyone's here babe! Come on, downstairs right now." She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him back downstairs.

With the rest of the pack there, lunch was a completely different affair than it had been only a few minutes ago. Everyone was loud and talking at the same time and food was being passed up and down the table, and little kids were making noise with their plates and utensils.

After lunch, the elders gathered into the large living room to talk and watch television, while the kids went outside to play in the massive backyard. Vivian curled up onto a deck chair, to sit and talk with Esmé and the red head she had seen give birth. The little girl in her arms was a year old. "It's amazing how fast time flies by, isn't it?"

"Yes, and thank the moon goddess nothing has happened in a year." Esmé said while she took a sip from her drink.

"Well, aside from the restoration of the inn, and our flourishing business, nothing bad has happened, you mean." Esmé nodded slowly, smiling, and continued watching the kids playing. "Maybe one day I'll get to see my grandson or daughter playing with those cubs." Vivian blushed scarlet, but her face was still composed as she watched the children.

"Mom, we've already talked about this. I'm not going to wait or plan for a child. If it happens, it happens." Only recently had she become Gabriel's lover, on her nineteenth birthday. _Loup-garou_ didn't actually get married, as one female could beat out another to become queen bitch, but Gabriel had promised Vivian that there would be no other besides her, and that was enough.

Reflexively, she rubbed the pendant he had given her. The white gold chain was long so she could still wear it in her fur, and the round disk was mother of pearl, so it shone like the moon. "I'm going to go check on Rudy and the others."

Inside was a lot different from the peace outside. Willem and Gregory were play fighting, and Finn and Ulf were out leading a group on a guided tour of the reserve. Uncle Rudy was in his usual seat at the dinner table, watching TV and drinking a beer, and Aunt Persia was probably upstairs in a room sleeping. A lot of the pack members were out on the hike, but the ones still inside were making up for their absence by being talkative.

"Hey Viv! Are we going to get to go out today? As in, out, out?"

"Of course! That's why we moved here. You guys are going to love it. The reserve is perfect for… nighttime hikes." And so she spent the rest of the afternoon willing time to pass by quickly so they could once again run together as _loup-garoux._

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Vivian watched with sweet intimacy as her mate doubled over and his spine popped into place. She was already fully changed and restless for the run to begin. It was already two in the morning, and they had decided to all go out so late so that the humans in the inn wouldn't know anything suspicious was happening. She felt someone nip the back of her neck and she knew he was ready to go, so she set out from among the trees at full speed towards the others. They saw the pair come out, and they howled and ran. No previous running experience could compare to this one. She was finally free to let herself go, and run as far and as fast as she could manage.

Finally the sun was coming up, and Vivian threw herself onto the leaf covered floor panting heavily. Gabriel sauntered towards Viv, holding her clothes as she lay down, half changed. His mate looked like a wild forest nymph with leaves still stuck in her hair and a glowing moon pendant dangling from her neck. He lay down beside her and looked up at the sky through the forest canopy. Most of the pack had already gone back to the inn. Just then, Esmé and Tomas came out from behind the trees, giggling and throwing themselves onto the floor beside Vivian and Gabriel.

"Oh look at you, Mr. Big shot."

"What about me?" he growled, his voice it's usual roll of thunder.

"Vivian's made you soft." He got up suddenly, daring Tomas to say that again. But he laughed and lay back down with Vivian in his arms.

"Yeah, I suppose she has," he murmured, grazing his hand across her cheek.

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Sadly though, it didn't matter how wonderful the night was, as the next day Vivian had to get up and go to school. As it was, classes and the whole school were exactly the same anywhere in the United States, and the Five were still outcasts in the school for some reason. Vivian rolled and pulled the white sheets off the bed and wandered towards the bathroom groggily. Gabriel was already in town, or in some other room working. The tawny haired girl in the mirror with the golden skin forced her thick hair into a ponytail, changed into a white blouse and blue jeans and walked downstairs for breakfast. She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a muffin from a tray on one of the tables. The rest of the Five made their way into the kitchen, still sleepy and groggy and grabbed plates of scrambled eggs and cereal.

"Viv, you need to eat more. Here." Finn put a plate of pancakes down in front of her, and laughed. The Five climbed into Vivian's truck, and they made their way down to school. "Damn! We have a test today." They all groaned and walked into the crowded hallways.

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"How was school?" asked Gabriel, as he watched Vivian finish working on the mural in their room. It was a forest scene, just like her last room, but there were more _loup-garoux_ visible, and the forest wasn't as dark as before, and there was actual flora among the foliage. She dipped her paintbrush into the white paint and slashed some more light into the moon in the middle of the painting.

"You know I hate it when you ask me that. It's stupid that I have to still go to school, and then be expected to come home and be alpha-female. If you must know, we had a test in English which I probably failed. My art teacher thinks I'm a prodigy, and I'm signing up for co-op so I can skip half of the school day to come work here."

Gabriel wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "Good. You need to be here more often" he whispered, kissing the back of her neck, causing her to gasp and have to drop the paintbrush before she messed up the mural.

He carried her down the stairs, piggy-back style, and set her down on a chair in the kitchen. The pack was outside again, so they had the inn to themselves. "What can I get for you?"

"Surprise me." Gabriel walked into the pantry and came back with a glass of red wine. Vivian took long sips of it, letting the warmth spread down to her toes, as she watched him prepare two plates of braised lamb. It was deliciously rare and served on a bed of mashed potatoes.

"Viv, I have to leave tomorrow. Some more of the pack are planning on moving into town, and they'll need help. I'll only be gone two days…" Vivian looked down at her plate, pushing the potatoes around in circles. This girl had changed him, he knew that. Before he would've done anything for the pack, and only for the pack, but now she was his top priority. She looked up at him suddenly, with fire in her eyes. His heart melted as she led him upstairs.

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Willem was surprised to see Vivian running around and working with such fervor. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to his side. "Hey, what's going on? You're not usually so hard working. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah pup. Everything's just fine. I'm just anxious to get these rooms done. That's all."

"You know there are people here hired to do that work."

"Yeah, I know. I just need to keep busy before I lose it."

"Take a break." He shoved Vivian all the way to the dining room and sat her down, telling one of the waitresses to bring her a coke. The queen bitch stared out the window, admiring the dark greens and olives of the leaves and grass outside. The sliding glass doors were open to let the breeze in, and the red head's daughter, Katherine, came tottering in towards Vivian, who scooped her up and sat her down on her lap. "Hey baby. Where's your mama?" The child looked up at Vivian, her little green eyes smiling as much as she was, and tugged on Vivian's moon pendant.

She carried Katherine with her towards the receptionist's desk, to phone for her mom, when the front door opened bringing in a strong breeze. A girl with short dark hair and too much eyeliner walked in, causing Vivian's smiled to fade. "What are you doing here Kelly? How did you find me?"

"That's not important. Vivian, I need your help. It's Aiden."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! If any of you have questions about my writing, please leave a review (provided you don't leave one as anonymous) and I will be more than happy to reply. And thanks again to Annette Curtis Klause for characters and settings I can work with. Also, this chapter has a lot more "thought voice" than Ms. Clause uses because it's just easier to get the immediate reaction._

Chapter 4:

"That's not important. Vivian, I need your help. It's Aiden."

Vivian felt a rock begin to plummet its way down to her stomach, threatening to make her sick. _Why should I care? I hate you Kelly. What if he's hurt? It's all my fault._ Little Katherine wrapped her pudgy fingers around her queen's wrist. "Come with me." She led Kelly and baby Katherine to her room upstairs; the only place she knew where they would be left alone.

"Is she yours?" Vivian looked at Katherine, with her green eyes and red curls.

"No, she's not mine." _Why should you care? Why are you here? Where's Aiden? _"Hold on a minute, I need to get this one to her mother." She carried Katherine back downstairs, wondering if it was safe to leave Kelly upstairs in her room, with her stuff, but as she left she noticed Kelly looking at the mural on the wall and clutching at her throat. _That's right. Be afraid_.

The mother was downstairs, sitting on a couch, wringing the ends of her sundress. She got up and took Katherine from Vivian as soon as she saw them.

"Oh, Vivian! I was so worried! Thank you for keeping my baby safe." …_Keeping her safe. Yeah, that's what I do. That's what I have to do._

"Don't worry about it. Just be more careful next time." She ran back upstairs to her room, to find Kelly looking at the pictures in frames on the dresser.

"Who's this?" She handed Vivian a wooden frame with the picture Esmé had taken of them at a fair they had gone to in June. Vivian was being carried, piggy back style by Gabriel, and they were laughing, and standing in front of a merry-go-round. Any _loup-garou _could tell you their teeth were more pointed than usual as a result of their reckless abandon in that moment.

"That's my…" _Husband? No, too informal. Mate? Even worse, she'd never understand. _"…soul mate." _Close enough. _Vivian put the frame back down onto the dresser, aware of how much time was being wasted with small talk. "Why are you here Kelly? What's wrong with Aiden?" Kelly sat down on the chair next to the dresser.

"It's… I know about you Vivian." Vivian felt the rock in her stomach slide up, to grip at her lungs, crushing them together.

"I don't know what Aiden's told you…but I can bet it's not true."

"Yes, yes it is true. I know you're not human. That's all he could tell me." The rock released its grip only slightly. "I don't care what you are Vivian, I just want you and your… people to leave me and Aiden alone." _Likewise, Kelly. _

"What makes you think my people have anything to do with this? Where is he?" Kelly took a letter from her back pocket. _Moon Goddess, I hate letters. _Her hands were trembling as she passed it to Vivian. The writing was neat and even, like a woman's.

_We know you're hiding a half-breed._

_So we'll hide this one. _

_He knows too much._

_A fair trade is in order, Vivian. _

_You'd better comply, for the sake of your pack._

_Call at 9 on the 10th 8021151803_

The rock in her lungs was now crushing against her heart. _NO! This can't be happening. This is a joke. A sick joke. Kelly and Aiden are setting me up._ Vivian looked up at Kelly who had black tracks running down from her eyes. She was crying. She was afraid. "Where did you get this from Kelly?" Kelly opened her mouth to speak, but a sob ripped its way out. Then she collapsed, and bawled like a child who's been terrified by a monster. Vivian knelt down beside Kelly, and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her back into focus. "Tell me where you got this from, Kelly!"

"It- was – tied to a brick. There was a brick in his room. It broke his window. His window. It broke it." Kelly went back to sobbing and Vivian read the note again, looking for something to make sense. _We're hiding a half breed? 'Don't date if you can't mate'. It's not physically possible. I need to trade? Trade what? The 10th? That's … today._

Vivian's head started pulsing, and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. _What are those numbers! _If Kelly weren't in the room, Vivian would've howled in frustration. _8021151803. Wait! 802 is an area code. Here in Vermont. They're here? _She looked down at Kelly, who had stopped crying, but was staring out into nothing. _She's not going to be much help._

Vivian ran and leaped across the bed towards the phone. She dialed Gabriel's cell phone and crushed the receiver to her ear. She heard the dial tone once, twice, three times… _Please pick up, please pick up. Pick up. _On the fifth dial tone she was about ready to throw the phone against the wall, when she heard his low rumble.

"Hello?" She could hear his voice still weighed down with sleep.

"I really need to talk to you." At that, his voice changed and she just knew he was up and fully awake.

"Viv, tell me what's wrong." Vivian told him about Kelly, and Aiden, and the note, and the phone number. There was a long silence. "Babe, this isn't our fight. We don't have a half breed amongst us. I don't know about that Aiden kid, but he's not our problem."

"So we're not going to do anything? What about the pack?"

"The pack will be safe. Don't do anything. Vivian? Promise me you won't do anything. I need you to be safe." _I can't do that Gabriel. I'm the leader now. I need to keep us safe. _"Vivian? Please."

"Fine. The pack will be safe… I love you." Vivian hung up the phone, and took Kelly to one of the free rooms. "Kelly, stay here." She could just sense the defiance in Kelly's eyes. "Stay here if you don't want to die." Kelly's eyes grew wide, and Vivian was sorry she had to terrify her into submission, but it had to be done. Then she ran downstairs to the only people that could help her; the rest of the Five.

"Hey Ulf, I'm calling a meeting of the Five in my room, in two minutes." She ran down to the kitchen to make an excuse up to Esmé so she could get a few days off.

"Mom! I need to talk to you about something."_ Think Vivian, think! _"I need to take three days off. I know, that's a lot, but I just need a break, I'm feeling weird lately." _Please don't make me pull rank. _Esmé thought for a while, still flipping the pages of her magazine, but finally agreed.

"I need to show you guys something." She handed the letter to the Five, and they passed it around amongst themselves. Their eyes grew wide, and their teeth grew sharper. "I need your help."

"What about Gabriel?" Vivian looked at Ulf, who had gotten very close to Gabriel in the past months.

"No. Gabriel can't know about this. He's already forbidden me from getting involved, but I just have to. If you don't want to help, leave this room right now. I won't think any less of you." None of them stood up, and the tightening in her chest loosened up a little bit more.

"What do you need us to do?" She looked at Willem's sweet round face, and smiled.

"I have a phone number there. I'm going to need to call. If they know my name, they probably know who I am. Gregory, you need to stay here, in case Gabriel comes back, I need you to have a good alibi for me. Ulf, you're staying with him, and I need this place to run as smooth as possible, so no one can tell I'm gone. Kelly's also here, I need you to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid here. Finn, you and Will have all of my classes. You need to keep up with my work for three days."

"What! Vivian, that's stupid. What about your backup? You're worried about schoolwork!"

"Yeah, I am. None of you are allowed to go with me. I don't want to put any of you in danger or anything."

"Vivian, I'm going with you. You can't stop me." She looked at Will's face, both defiant and trustworthy.

"Fine. I'm taking Will along. Finn, you need to keep up with our work for three days. None of you are to breathe a word of this to anyone. Or else." The threat was meaningless. They were her friends, they wouldn't betray her.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Vivian was restless and anxious at the same time. She knew every minute they wasted made it more dangerous for Aiden, but she couldn't take any risks. They called the number at exactly nine. A man's deep bass picked up the phone on the first dial tone.

"Good job Vivian. We knew you'd do the right thing. Listen carefully. Tomorrow you are to come alone to the reserve. Look for a line of trees with a red ribbon among the branches. They'll lead you to the next clue."

"What clue? Why can't you just meet me at some place and we can trade? What do I bring for the trade?"

"You're asking too many questions. If we just met, it wouldn't be so much fun would it? Bring the half-breed. Easy enough, right? A life for a life." They hung up the phone, and she wanted to scream and cry. _No! No lives! I won't have anyone die._

That night, Vivian went out and bought some over the counter sleep aids. She took one, then another, and fell into darkness. That was the first time in a long time that she had no dreams.

Willem rubbed his arms, letting out small white puffs of breath. The air was getting colder, but the sun was way up in the sky. It seemed strange that whoever it was didn't wait to be under the cover of night. Vivian came back in fifteen minutes with a note tied to a rock and tears in her eyes. While Willem read, she howled in anger.

_You've made the game more interesting._

_Surely you must know by now who the half-breed is._

_Bring her tonight to this address. We'll trade._

Attached was a note, with an address scribbled in flowing cursive. "Are you going to bring her Vivey?"

"No, of course I'm not. I don't even know who she is. And besides, the fact that you're involved is already one person too many. Come on, let's go." On the drive back, Willem tried to reason with her, and calm her nerves. But she was a different Vivian now than she was when they were children. She was the leader.

Vivian sat in her room, waiting for night to fall. No one knew she was still at home, in the inn. They all thought she was out for three days. Earlier she had made Gregory slip some of the sleep aids into Kelly's food, just in case. The alpha-female paced her room, trying to clear her head for whatever was coming up. She knew the address; it was an old lodge just under twenty minutes from here. The fact that they were so close gave her the chills. She changed into a practical outfit; jeans, a black long sleeved shirt, and boots. She tied her hair up and tucked her pendant safely inside her shirt. _This will do, if I remain human._

She reread the notes over and over again, trying to imagine who must've written them. The writing was small and neat, but the person on the phone was a male. _Moon goddess, please let there be only one. No accomplices. _The time on the clock read 2:45pm. Vivian growled and took a sleep aid. She woke up at 6:03pm. The moon was coming out soon. She treaded back downstairs as quietly as possible, to avoid being seen. Willem was already waiting in the black truck outside.

"Vivian! I wanted to talk to you. It's very important." Vivian shot a glance at the voice. It was the mother from earlier, and she was carrying Katherine in her arms. The baby was asleep.

"Not now. I have to go. Sorry."

"But-" Vivian didn't wait for the rest of the sentence; she just hopped into the truck and drove off.

They walked into the lodge in silence. Will had his walky-talky with him, as did she. If anything went wrong, she would press the red button, and all of the Five would know about it. The place was so typical, it made her gag. There was minimal lighting, and lots of shadows. The bare furniture was covered in white cloth for the dust, and the windows were mostly all closed. In the movies, it looked a lot cleaner and smelled a lot better than it did here. Everywhere reeked of urine and alcohol. Vivian had barely stepped in through the front door when a large blonde man with square shoulders and the build of a lumberjack grabbed her by the arm and pressed his gritty hand against her mouth. _Don't panic. Don't panic. This always happens in the movies. _He made her stumble her away across to the living room. Then he threw her onto the sofa. She resisted the urge to press the button. If she didn't panic, she would be safe. _Just hear what they have to say first._

"Where's the girl? We need fair trade."

"How-" her voice broke, and the man smiled wide showing pearly white teeth,

"-how do I know you've kept your end of the deal? Where is he? I need to see him or the deal is off." He growled low, and she knew he was _loup-garou._ Then he walked out of the hall, and she could hear his steps upstairs._ He hasn't called for anyone, he must be alone then. _She pressed the little button on the walky-talky once. The code for, "everything is okay". The man dragged Aiden downstairs. His legs and arms were bound, and his eyes were blindfolded with a dirty rag. The man threw Aiden down on the floor, causing him to release a small whimper.

"There, you see him. Where's the girl?"

"I need to speak to this one. He's broken my heart. I want to know if he's worth saving." The man seemed most amused. To him, it was just a just a game, and the plot had just thickened.

"Fine. Make it quick. You have five minutes. Exactly." He actually left the room and closed the door. Vivian would've made a quick getaway out the window, but she remembered two things. Firstly, they were blocks away from anywhere, and secondly, this was a madman. If they escaped, they would've still been hunted down, and maybe the pack would've been hunted as well. So she was going to play the game by his rules.

She walked over to Aiden, and lifted the blindfold off. His eyes did nothing to her, because her heart finally belonged to another. "Vivian. Let's go! Let's get out of here. Come on!"

"No Aiden. We can't."

"Did you mean what you said? That I'm not worth saving?" His voice sounded small, and scared. He was terrified of them, even now he was looking at her with panic, and she was the only one who could save him.

"I want to save as many lives as possible tonight. Aiden, I need you to do two things for me. Don't be afraid of me, ever. I'm the only one who can help you. And do exactly as I say." Vivian was formulating a getaway plan in her head, when the little red light bulb on the walky-talky started flashing. _Something has just gone terribly wrong._ The man walked back in, and tied Aiden's blindfold back on.

"So? Do we have a trade?"

"Yes." She saw Aiden wince, but he knew better. "You'll forgive me; I have left my end of the deal back in the getaway car outside. I needed to be sure. If I don't come back, you can kill him. I won't care less. Fair is fair, right?" She tried as hard as she could not to sprint back towards the truck, but walk slowly and evenly. She saw Willem's face, as he held onto the steering wheel and looked straight at her. He was terrified.

"What's wrong?" she mouthed at him, but the answer was clear soon enough. There was a little green Honda Civic on the road, and baby Katherine popped her head up from the passenger's seat of the truck. _No! _Now she was running, and she opened the truck door, and scooted in beside the three. "Why are you here! WHY are you here!"

Willem's shaky voice gave her an answer she wished she didn't have to hear, "Vivian, you're looking at the half-breed."

Vivian looked at the red headed mother in disbelief. She didn't look anything like a half-breed was supposed to look like. Vivian was just about to tell them to get back in the Honda and hide, when the man came running out of the house, in half form, and towards the truck. He opened the door, and pulled out a gun. Katherine didn't scream, or cry. She didn't know what was going on as the four were led into the abandoned lodge. The red light on her walky-talky was on. The rest of the Five would be here soon enough.

The mother was smart enough to know that she had to hold on to her child for dear life, as she watched Willem be bound and tied. He didn't put up a fight. The guy was unstable, and armed. Vivian risked everything by trying to reason with him. "Do we need to trade? She's not even a child anymore. She knows better. She can run away, and none of us will ever have to deal with her again." The blonde man smirked and led them all downstairs… to the basement. If they weren't in danger, Vivian would've laughed at the horrid clichés.

He turned on the single bare light bulb on the ceiling and tied Willem and Aiden together against the wall. "Please. There's no need for any of this, really. She's old now. No one knew she even existed, or that it was possible."

"Shut up!" he barked. "You are a fool to think that woman is the half breed." _Then who? Oh dear goddess. _Katherine looked up at the scary man who was yelling. He walked over to her and ripped her apart from her mother's arms. Vivian ran to the woman's side to stop her from doing anything stupid. And the room was filled with the sobs of a child, and Vivian's heart and mind raced for some logic. "You, untie the one over there." The mother walked over to Aiden and began undoing his ropes. "A fair trade."

"No! You can't! I won't let you."

He cackled. "And you think you can stop me? This is a legacy we're talking about girl. We can't let this monster live. It's not the way."

"I don't care. I'm the leader now. I make my own way."

"What you are is an annoying bitch. Shut up before I do off with you too." A great banging was heard upstairs as the house was being searched. The man laughed. This was getting still more exciting, and he wished the game would never end. "Your backup has arrived, whereas I sadly have none. Oh wait, yes I do." He pulled out a gun and cocked it.

Finn, Gregory, Ulf, and Gabriel descended down the stairs at once. "Stop!" she yelled. "Don't come any closer. I'm ordering it." They paused at the second step from the floor. The man cackled again, but he was agitated now, his breathing came rapidly, and the scent oozed from his pores to mingle with all the other ones in the room. Gabriel looked at Vivian, the woman, Willem, the untied Aiden, and the blond holding his hand out to the child, who was sitting between all of them crying her eyes out. He knew the whole story long before anyone could explain. The tension in the room was so thick everyone seemed to be choking from it.

Finally, it was a shaky woman's voice that broke the silence. "Katherine, come here to mommy. Come here right now." The child stood on its legs, wobbling around a bit as it cried.

"You! Shut up! Just shut up! That disgusting half-breed! That filthy thing! It needs to die!" The man raised his arm, and Vivian could see the gun. It was the kind that shot tranquilizer bullets. _But tranquilizer_ _doesn't glow blue like that._

She could see the bullet's point of impact, way before she heard the shot that sent it off, and she leapt, transforming into a _loup-garou_ in midair. The child was knocked over onto its side by a large wolf-like creature, as it took the bullet on its right flank, forcing it to change back into a human and clutch at her side.

There was a lot of angry howling in the damp basement, followed by a crunch of bones, and a thud. Then a boy's voice was screaming at a wounded female, who was bleeding profusely, "Vivian? Say something! It's me, Aiden! Vivian!" Vivian threw her head back and uttered a loud guttural scream that was neither wolfen nor human, as she collapsed down onto the floor.

"Get away from her, boy!" she heard another thud, and her mind snapped. The beast inside her wanted to fight back. It wanted blood. She turned and bit into the flesh nearest her as hard as she could, letting the rich warm blood pool in her mouth as she swallowed. Whoever the victim was wasn't making a sound, so she bit down harder, until she could feel a crunch of bone. Finally it screamed, but it also fought back, stabbing Vivian on her right shoulder with something sharp. And then her world went black.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Yet again, I have to thank all of you for the reviews and Annette Curtis Klause for fantastic characters that I can work with. This chapter has a bit more violence than I normally use, but I don't think it qualifies as enough to have me change the rating... And sorry for the one day delay on this one, its Labor Day Weekend. _

Chapter 5

Vivian awoke to find herself strapped to a hospital bed in a room with bouquets of herbs and other plant stems hanging from the rafters. There were medical cuffs around her wrists. _Aunt Persia's house?_ Some woman must've been in a lot of pain, because she could hear a distant scream somewhere.

Just then, the tranquilizers wore off and she felt it. Searing pain like one hundred thousand needles were pricking into her skin all over made her eyes water. Her pelt was coming off, and was being replaced by skin.

She realized three things at once. She was changing back from a _loup-garou_ to a human, but it wasn't fast or pleasurable like usual, it was slow and the worst pain imaginable. The person screaming was herself. And no one was around to help her or make the pain go away. _Gabriel? Mom? I need you! _Finally the burning got so bad her brain refused to recognize it any further, and she passed out.

She couldn't remember falling asleep or waking up, or anything. Her thoughts were replaced by a constant burning feeling. She could tell from the light through the window that a day had passed, and she was clean and dressed. Those thoughts were lost as felt the horrid pop of her spine straightening itself back into place. Vivian screamed for five minutes straight and lost consciousness caused by a lack of oxygen to her brain.

Again another day must have passed, because Vivian awoke to a new pain. Her teeth gritted themselves together as she fought to control her now constant screams, and tears ran down her cheeks. Her claws and teeth were slowly retracting back to normal. Vivian wished someone could come in and make the pain stop. Violent sobs racked her frame, and she pulled against the cuffs strapping her down.

A new noise reached her ears, just above her own sobs. She could hear a man's voice shouting at an elderly woman's. He stormed into the room, throwing the door open and knelt down by her side. She could see his tears streaming down his chiseled face. But she couldn't care less. Every fiber in her body wanted him dead. _He's left me in this pain for three days. He's dead to me. _She couldn't think again as a violent sob escaped her lungs. Gabriel placed his hand on hers and squeezed it tight. "I love you, baby." He jabbed a needle into her arm and she winced with the pin prick.

Through her burning flesh a liquid as cold as ice water streamed down. Her veins felt this sweet liquid rushing to her spine, wonderfully numbing everything in its path. _Morphine_. She looked up at this one marvelous man, this kind man who had taken all of her pain away. "I want to have your babies" she whispered, and his eyes shone and he kissed her tears, and eyes, and lips.

"We can talk about that when you're better." Her vision became blurred and she fell asleep.

----------------------------------------------------

They had removed the cuffs, and Vivian awoke in the arms of her beloved. Or rather, in one of his arms, as the other was heavily bandaged in a cast cradled to his chest. She studied the cast carefully, trying desperately to remember what had caused this injury. Her study was interrupted by a pair of brilliant blue eyes opening, and smiling.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"What happened?"

"Long story. There are a few people downstairs that are better at explaining than I am." She shot up, but was pulled back down and kissed thoroughly. Then she could get up and get dressed, and wrap fresh bandages around her wrists. _I knew I was at Aunt Persia's. _Until just now, she had not known her aunt had chosen her new home in the most remote part of the reserve.

The group in the kitchen consisted of the Five, Esmé and Tomas, Uncle Rudy, Aunt Persia, the red headed mother, and baby Katherine, who was sound asleep.

Esmé couldn't stop fussing about her own daughter, and forced Vivian to eat several pieces of toast and chug glasses of orange juice, and try some more herb teas from Aunt Persia. "Please, mom! I just want to know… what happened to me?" Aunt Persia got up from her place by the stove, and sat down holding her queen's hands.

"You are the best leader any of us could've asked for."

"Thank you."

Uncle Rudy spoke up, and finally filled in all of the gaps. "Katherine is a half-child, as you know. None of us in the pack knew that, but that man somehow found out. When you're _loup-garou, _bloodline means everything. So you got shot. And, those weren't tranquilizers. Those were a primitive method used a long time ago to keep rebel _loup-garoux_ in line. In small doses, the victim is forced to change back to a human against their will, like you were; in large doses that stuff can kill."

Vivian gasped and held on to Aunt Persia's hands for support, and searched the woman's eyes for answers. "What do you mean? What are you saying? I'm a human now?"

The minutes and seconds paused in time. All waiting for an answer. Vivian felt shudders racing up and down her spine. She was afraid.

"No baby, you're stronger than that. It will take a lot longer for you, and the therapy will be intensive, but you will go back to the form you were meant to be just as easily as always. However, there's also the matter of your selflessness. You alone would take that kind of pain as our own. That dose was intended to kill Katherine. This whole pack is indebted to you."

"No, the pack owes me nothing. That's what I do as a leader. I just want to know now, about the man. He's … is he…?"

"He's dead. And he was lucky Ulf and Gregory got to him before I did. That was his only blessing." Gabriel growled and smacked his cup down onto the counter.

"So what happens now? Will any others come looking for us? For Katherine?"

"No. The word has spread. Everyone knows we have this child here, and we will protect her as one of our own. This won't happen again." Finally Vivian sighed, and she could breathe easy at last.

--------------------------------------

After breakfast, Gabriel walked outside with his mate, sitting her down on his lap on a deck chair. They looked out at this unfamiliar part of the forest.

"Your arm… that was me wasn't it?"

"You're my mate. I would have you break my arm in three places again if only you didn't have to suffer as much pain as you did." Her mind had a flashback; _one of our own could've taken the blow._ She sighed and rubbed the cast with her fingertips, trying in vain to get her heart rate to slow back down.

"You know, I meant what I said back then, after you gave me the…" Vivian blushed furiously but focused only on his smiling blue eyes.

"I know, and it would make me the happiest man in the world if you had my children. But -"

"- but?"

"But it's not my choice. You still need to decide what _you_ want. You can go to college, or get a job, or-"

"I know what I want. Sure I can have the job and the steady salary, and the college degree, but what if that's not for someone like me? What if I know this is for me. This pack… this land... this inn… you."

"Oh, Viv" he kissed her passionately, and once again her skin was on fire, but this time, so was her heart.

----------------------------------------------------

It was an outdoor ceremony, and the sun was hot against her skin, and her face. Vivian could pick out a lot of faces in the crowd. There was Esmé, smiling and crying silently, and there was the Five, dressed formally, their unruly hair slicked back. She blushed, and they blushed and winked at her. She could see Katherine sitting down on her mother's lap, smiling, and Aunt Persia had tears running down her face, and Uncle Rudy was looking like her father might have looked, all that pride showing on his face. The whole pack had come today.

She could barely focus on the words of the elderly man talking to her, and the ends of her white dress were swishing against her knees as the wind blew softly. She looked across the aisle and saw Gabriel's beautiful blue eyes, and he was grinning, and his eyes looked so full of desire and pride, and it was all for her. Then Vivian walked down the aisle, shook the elderly man's hand… and...

And she graduated.

When the crowd cheered, she could tell her pack were trying their best not to howl, but make a more human "whooo" sound instead. Vivian couldn't have cared less. She howled and laughed and ran into Esmé arms, and wiped the tears from her mothers face and kissed her eyes. "Come on mom, you're ruining your makeup." _I love you. _Her mother was still at a loss for words, so she kissed Vivian's cheeks, and pushed a strand of her daughter's gold hair back behind her ear. The Five all walked over to her, wearing their caps and gowns, and laughing and teasing each other. They all congratulated her, and kissed her cheeks, and talked at the same time.

"Can't wait 'till college, huh?"

"I'm hungry, where's the buffet?"

"We're going to party hard tonight, right?"

"Nice one Vivy couldn't have done it without you." Vivian looked at sweet Willem, and kissed his cheeks again, and gave him a big hug. Then he walked away to find some more of the pack.

She was about to go find Gabriel, when a giant pair of arms encircled her waist and pulled her close. The way her body fit next to his like a jigsaw piece let her know who this was. She turned around and tangled her fingers in his hair, and kissed his lips and the tears from his eyes, before anyone else could see them. "I've never been more proud of you Viv," he whispered into her ear, before kissing her.

"It's only high school!"

"But it's just the beginning. What's next for you, my queen?"

"…College, for a few years, more renovations for the inn, probably some kids later on, and a dog." He snorted and his sapphire eyes were full of laughter.

"A dog? Really?"

"Yeah, why not? That's what normal people get anyway." Vivian thought of normal people for a second, and decided there was someone she really needed to go see. Gabriel looked into his lover's eyes, and they spoke without speaking. He let go of her hand, and watched her get lost in the crowd, before turning and walking over to Ulf and the Five.

The young man was talking to his parents, or rather, they were talking to him, and he was staring very intently at the ground, his face all red. His dad shot Vivian a look that would've sent Gabriel up the wall, but she ignored him. "Hey, Aiden? Can I talk to you for a minute?" She held out her hand, and pulled him away from his parents.

"Vivian, thank you again. I mean, seriously. Thank you, for that, and for inviting me, and everything."

"It's okay. I just need to let you know, you have nothing to be afraid of. I… my people won't be bothering you ever again. I've made sure of it." He looked at her, searching her eyes, and memorizing her face just one last time.

"So, I won't be seeing you around anymore?" She paused, and checked her heart for a minute. The bruises were gone, and the veins and arteries were all there, re-grown from the last time he ripped her heart out, and there was Aiden, in a special place in there, but just as a friend.

"No, you'll be seeing me around." He wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a small squeeze, then turned and held Kelly's hand, and walked away somewhere into the crowd. Vivian was once again at Gabriel's side, lacing her fingers in his, and talking with the rest of the pack. _My family_.

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Gabriel watched as Vivian walked up to him, and then walked past him. He growled playfully and set off to catch up with her. But this time, she didn't turn around when he pulled her close to him, and she didn't smile. He exhaled and let go of her, and she flopped herself down onto the grass and looked up at the sky. Things weren't looking so great in paradise all of a sudden. In the mornings, she would be working at the inn, and in the evenings, during any free time, she would be working on her rehabilitation. The process was much more slow and tedious than either of them had anticipated, and Vivian lost her patience with Gabriel more frequently.

"What's wrong baby?"

"Don't baby me. And don't look at me like that. You know that's what you're doing."

"Alright, and suppose I wasn't, would you tell me how you feel?" She looked up at his face, the anger bright in her eyes.

"Speak to me Viv; I need to know so I can help you."

"There's nothing to be helped! The problem is me. I'm the problem. I can't do this any faster. I just can't."

"We've been over this before. Remember?" He bent down and scooped her up in his arms, and murmured into her ear to revive some of the memories. "Remember? I can help you."

"Gabriel, please. I just need to be alone." He looked at her, and she could tell he didn't like this plan. Not in the least. But he sighed, and kissed her cheek, and got up and walked away into the woods.

Vivian got up and reached her hands straight up in front of her, and pulling them up above her head as far as they could go, arching her back and getting up on her toes. Then she bent all the way down to grab her ankles and rolled back up and stretched out into the splits. _Yeah, I can do this but I can't do what should come naturally. Great._ The therapy was intensive, and she was more toned and ten times more flexible than she was before, but she couldn't change at the drop of a hat like she needed to.

She crouched down low, and focused on her pelt first. It wasn't painfully itchy or prickly on its way out anymore, and pretty soon she was covered in beautiful fur. Then she worked her way down, into her stomach, into her insides. Her spine was getting tighter and tighter, and Vivian clutched to her middle. A sudden wave of nausea made her blanch and stare down at the grass, taking deep breaths. _Come on girl, you can do this._ She breathed in through her nose, and out through her mouth, and bent her back forty five degrees from her waist, still clutching. The nausea crept up, and she was really getting sick now. She felt herself become lightheaded, and her eyes became blurry as the cramps in her stomach became stronger. _Come on, come on._ She tried the secret push, but it wasn't working.

Suddenly, a pair of hands was stroking her, and pulling all of her hair back. Gabriel rubbed circles into her shoulder blades, and the nausea was leaving. Then she zipped the hoody she was wearing off, and changed fully. The whole episode took all of three minutes. But when you're a _loup-garou_, that's far too long. Gabriel nipped at Vivian's neck, and licked her muzzle, willing her to be happy, but she just looked at his stunning eyes and growled softly, as if to say, _it's still not fast enough._ They ran together for a long time, long enough for Vivian to feel refreshed, and to get her hopes up.

Afterwards, they got back to the clearing where they had been before, and dressed, and ran as humans in the darkness, getting Vivian's physical abilities up. Even as a human she was still ahead of him by a bit, and still he caught up to her, and waited for her. Gabriel's body had much improved, as had Vivian's, but his muscles didn't seem to be any bigger; he was just more toned… if that was possible.

He sprinted up to her, and called her name so she turned around, and took her up in his arms, her legs around his waist, her hands locked on his neck, and ran home. She liked working out, and sweating, and getting gritty, like when one came back from the beach, and she liked Gabriel's taste, the salt on his cheeks contrasting the sweet from his lips. "I love you" she murmured, and willed his lips to be just as unyielding.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Thank you all for the reviews, and thanks Annette Curtis Klause for brilliant characters and a great setting. This one's relatively short. I'm using it sort of as a transition of more to come. Also, I'm going to play with this chapter a little bit more than usual, using a "Vivian's point of view" approach to it, instead of the one I've been using normally. Not to worry, I think it's just going to be for this chapter only, and you'll see why... _

**Chapter Six:**

The air in Vermont was not as sticky and hot in the summer. But unlike my old home, there was the faintest hint of a breeze here. I lay on the itchy grass, breathing in all of the scents of late summer. The Five were playing a pick up football game with Uncle Rudy, and most of the pack was out to watch. The inn was in full swing this time of the year, but this late in the afternoon there weren't very many people coming in, so we could spend a lot more time out. The smell of barbecue still hung in the atmosphere from a pit nearby. I closed my eyes, and was about to fall asleep, when a little pudgy hand touched my cheek. I looked up at Katherine's little green eyes. She smiled, and I got up to play with her for a little while. I was walking her over to the new swing set in the backyard, when Aunt Persia called me back inside. I let Katherine go walk over to her mother.

"Close the door, please." I closed the door, and the last cool breeze out. The room was twenty degrees hotter than even outside, and the itchy stuff from the grass was covering my glistening skin. "Vivian, there are still some more things you still need to learn."

"Like what?"

"Not now. First you have to get ready. Go get clean, and put this on." She handed me a simple linen robe. I walked across the hall into her bathroom reluctantly. The shower was too small, and there were little clay pots of things where ordinary soap and shampoo should have been. I was afraid to use the wrong thing, so I just let the water rinse me clean. The linen robe was dry and starchy, like it had been hung out to dry. And considering Aunt Persia's nature, it probably was.

The living room was empty, and my Aunt called me into her room. I thought the living room was too hot, but she had managed to get her own room hotter. The air smelled old, like being stuck in a cave. There were the familiar bouquets of herbs drying on the ceiling. She was seated by a card table, looking into an earthenware bowl. From my angle it looked like she was staring at a bowl of water, but I didn't ask too many questions. Finally, after what seemed like I had been standing for an hour, she called me to her side.

"Listen carefully. I need you to stretch, get very limber. Breathe heavy, let yourself become lightheaded, and then breathe in some of this, and sit across from me." I nodded, and did exactly as she told me to do. The hardest part was allowing myself to become lightheaded. I realized why she had made this room so hot and stifling. When it seemed like I was close to fainting, she handed me a small vial. The liquid inside it was opaque, and I inhaled it. It smelled too sweet, like honey, or perfume. The fumes made my eyes blurry, but the edges were getting sharper by the second. I stumbled onto the seat across from her, and rested my head against my fists, taking deep breaths so I wouldn't pass out.

"Look at the liquid inside the bowl." It scared me how far away her voice sounded, like she was two rooms away from me. My hands were trembling as I pulled the bowl closer. The water inside the bowl didn't move like it was supposed to. I could barely open my eyes. At first I could only see the smooth surface of the water. "Focus, Vivian." _What am I supposed to be looking for?_ I tried squinting, but the water was still just smooth and still. "What do you want to see?" I thought for a moment._ I want to see Gabriel._ The water rippled like someone was shaking the table.

At first there were just a lot of colors and blurry shapes. It seemed like twenty minutes passed, and all I could see was just swirls of colors that wouldn't stop to form shapes. Then one of the larger swirls started forming itself into a shape. The shape was lean, and muscular, and it was attached to something. A long time passed, and the shape gradually became an outline of Gabriel. His eyes glinted like they do when I'm making him happy, or when he's amused. The way he stood was full of the cocky confidence I had grown to love. I tried to control my breath and focus. _Is this supposed to show me my future? Or my past? _Then another color slowed down. I could see a curvy shape. I assumed it was me, and I was giving Gabriel a hug, or kissing him, or something.

The background was unfamiliar to me. It seemed like a bar, like Tooley's, but there was too much going on, like a club or a party or something. I saw the marks on Gabriel, and the lines on his face. It looked pretty recent. Then the figure he was holding onto took shape. She was blonde.

I ripped myself away from the vision, and looked up at Aunt Persia with hot tears stinging my eyes. "You shouldn't have done that. It takes time to fall out of a vision. That will hurt in the morning, Vivian."

"I don't care! What did I just see?"

"It's hard to say. I couldn't see what you saw. That could've been a long time ago, or it could've been a few days ago or perhaps it was your future."

"That was not my future."

"What did you see Vivian? Tell me. Maybe I can help you understand your visions."

"No. There's only one person who can help me understand." I walked out of the room, breathing in heavily, running towards the inn. I climbed the stairs three at a time, and opened the door to our room. _Well, I didn't open it as much as kick it open._

"What do you do when you're gone? Where do you go?" I startled him, and he looked up from the book he was reading. _That's right, he reads in his spare time, go figure. _

"What are you talking about? Come here and sit down, you look agitated. What on earth are you wearing?"

"No. Just answer my question. I need to know."

"Viv, I don't know what you're asking. You're not making any sense."

"Damn it, quit being so calm! I just want to know where you go, and what you do when you're not here at the inn."

"Please stop shouting. Viv, calm down and talk to me rationally." I realized my voice was too loud, and I was panting like the room was stifling me.

"Fine. I'm calm. Now, tell me who she is."

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Don't act dumb with me. You're gone from here long enough. I should've known, or at least guessed something was up soon." He got up and walked close to me, and tried to put his arms around me. I wasn't going to let him.

"Viv, I honestly don't know what you are talking about. I have been nothing but faithful with you. Look at you, why would I need another?" Those words were meant to soothe, and the smallest part inside me was already melting, but I winced. I was more afraid than I had been in a long time.

"Just tell me who she is."

"There is no other besides you, and there won't be. How many times do I have to keep saying that until you start believing me?" I looked at his blue eyes, willing them to speak up for him, willing them to tell me the truth. _I saw you kiss a blonde. I saw your cocky smile, and the way your eyes looked at her._ I turned on my heel and ran back out the door into the woods. He didn't follow me. Maybe he thought I needed to clear my head, or maybe he didn't know what else to do. I felt the grip of fear tightening up against my lungs, filling them until I couldn't breathe.

I threw my cloak off, and changed into a _loup-garou_. The change was faster than it had been in days, but I didn't notice it, or anything. I ran for a very long time. I ran until the tears stopped streaming from my eyes, and the ground became too dark to see in front of.

Then my head cleared, and I looked around, and I realized something… _Shit. I was lost._

The sky was dark and cloudy, and the moon was barely visible. I could hear all the noises of the woods, and they didn't make me any less nervous. My hair bristled on end, and my claws dug into the soft ground. I heard a rustle in the trees behind me, and I leaped against them, but the noise stopped. It was just the wind. _This is going to be a long night._

The wild noises forced me to be focused, and think straight. I was suddenly overcome with a sense of deep shame. I was wrong for yelling at Gabriel like that. I should have asked Aunt Persia to interpret my visions with me, instead of acting like a child about it. I should have let Gabriel explain himself, and I shouldn't have run off and gotten lost in the middle of this forsaken retreat.

I howled as loud as I could, so that maybe one of our own could hear it, and come and get me. I tried running back the way I had come from, but the trees all looked the same, and so did the rocks, and the ground. I decided to just stay where I was, afraid to get lost any further.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty minutes, and finally an hour went by. I worried I would be lost in the park for a very long time. People got lost in these forests all the time, but… they weren't _loup-garou_.

I took that new confidence with me, as I walked around, smelling for something familiar. Maybe my scent would have lingered on something. The night was pitch-black, and from the way the moon was hanging above me, I knew it was probably midnight already. I could barely see ten feet in front of me, and my eyes were glinting off very little light. The foliage above was making the few rays of moon thin, and I was scared that pretty soon I would be all the way enveloped in darkness.

Then my hearing picked up another sound behind me. I crouched down low, ready to spring at whatever was behind me, but then got second thoughts about that plan, and decided to make a run for it. The thing behind me caught up easily, and the small amount of light reflecting off of it was twisting it into all kinds of unfamiliar shapes. I wasn't thinking straight. Whatever it was was chasing me, and I had to lose it, or kill it. I stopped suddenly, and turned to face this creature of the night head on.

It growled, and I bared my teeth at it. _I'm not going to lose to you._ I was about to pounce when a breeze blew in my direction. The scent caused my throat to close up. I should've known. I walked over to the shape hesitantly, trying to find it scent. The dark was hiding him, so I couldn't have known. But a ray of moonlight shone off of his blue eyes, and I was ashamed all over again.

I stepped back, and half changed. "Gabriel?" He growled and leapt towards me, sinking his teeth into the scruff at the back of my neck. I was shocked, so I changed back into a loup-garou immediately. _What's going on? _He nudged me hard on my ribs and started running north. I followed him, easily catching up and running to his side. We kept up a ferocious speed until I could see the edge of the forest, and the inn a little off in the distance. Gabriel stopped and looked back, making sure nothing was following us out. I was vaguely aware of being still in my _loup-garou _form, and the inn being very busy this time of the summer.

My robe was still strewn across the floor, and I picked it up as I ran back towards the inn. Gabriel grabbed my hand and held it as we climbed the stairs back up to our room. Finally, he closed the door, and looked at me. I was afraid he was going to hit me or something, the way he was trembling. But he grabbed me by the arms and pulled me against his burning chest. "Don't you ever, _ever _do that to me again." For once I was at a loss for words.

"I'm so stupid" I mumbled, burying my face in his neck.

"No, you were scared. I can understand that. What I can't understand is why you would run out into that reserve, at this time of the night. Vivian, we're not the only creatures out here. There was something else out there with us, and it was tracking you down." I felt my skin crawl.

"I just, I saw you… with a blonde, and I thought…"

"I know. But that blonde was … I've already talked to you about her."

"You mean, she's …" I felt my cheeks turn hot. The blonde was Gabriel's first love, the one he killed, just like I could've killed Aiden. "I'm so stupid."

"No, you're not. I don't know what I would have done if I were you. You were brave for handling it the way you did. I just wish I could prove to you there will never be any other." I looked up into his blue eyes, letting myself get lost in them.

"You already have." I kissed him, and bit his lips, and apologized and thanked him all in one kiss.

The next morning it was incredibly difficult to get up off of bed, so I decided I just wasn't going to. Gabriel was still sleeping next to me. I looked at his face, and watched him breathing deeply. And I knew I would never have to be afraid of him being unfaithful ever again. I looked at the ceiling, where we had started to paint a sky scene. You could barely see them in the morning, but there were tiny glow in the dark points hidden in the painted clouds, that looked exactly like stars when the lights were off.

I stroked his face lightly, not wanting to wake him up, and got closer to his side, smelling his scent, and feeling his calm heartbeat next to mine. I let myself fall asleep in his arms again. That is… until someone barged in to our room.

"Wake up you two. There are some people downstairs to see you."


	7. Chapter 6 and a half

_AN: Really, this is Chapter 6 ½ … as I said before, chapter six was so short because it was a transitional chapter, and because I didn't have as much time to work on it. But this one is hopefully a lot better, and/or more interesting. So enjoy. Also, the characters and setting are entirely Annette Curtis Klause's, and only one or two are my own creations. Please review._

**Chapter 6 ½: **

"Uhn…" Vivian moaned, and rolled over onto the other side of the bed, pulling the covers up over her face. "I'm sick." She tried to inhale, but her nostrils were not going to allow it. She tried going back to sleep under the covers, but pretty soon they were once again stifling, and she had to peek her head out. The normally cool air in the room was freezing today, and it gave her pressure on her sinuses.

"Hey…" Gabriel looked at his mate, and noticed something different about her. Her normally precious bedraggled appearance was not so precious today, and he noticed a severe pinkness around her nose and cheeks. He walked over to Vivian and placed a hand on her head, she felt fine, but her breathing was a small wheeze. "I think you have a cold."

"No, really?" she mumbled, pulling the covers up to only her nose this time.

"No need to get bitchy. Let me go get you something." He walked down the stairs, past the lobby, and into the kitchen. It was six in the morning on a Saturday, so very few people would actually be awake at this time. He made her some plain buttered toast, grabbed a bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, and took two Dayquil capsules from the medicine cabinet. It was rare that _loup-garou_ got sick, but he couldn't jump to conclusions. Not just yet.

"Ah! My hero," she muttered, swallowing the Dayquil capsules with a big swish of Gatorade. It made her throat itchy, and she grimaced. Gabriel smiled at this unusual turn of events. It felt nice to actually have to look after, and care for, his very competent mate. "What? I'm not allowed to get sick?"

"Not really. Our immune systems are stronger than an average human's."

"Yes, well… I don't know. I just did." She tried chugging some more of the neon orange liquid, but it made her throat scratchy, so she just sat upright, clutching the cold plastic bottle. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"_I _have to go and get the orders for groceries, and the new furniture for the room down the stairs finished, and _you_ have to sleep." She raised one eyebrow.

"Umm, yeah… I don't think so." Her voice sounded low and nasally, and Gabriel did all he could not to laugh.

"Viv, its strange enough you've caught a cold all of a sudden, I just need to make sure you stay healthy enough, and that this is _just_ a cold. You're going to sleep. Now." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, and she nipped at his neck once before lying back down.

Gabriel got up off the bed, and was about to walk out of the room, when Vivian mumbled something about, "burning off the tan" from under the covers. If it were up to him, he'd have stayed with Vivian all day, but the inn had managed to come before his personal needs yet again. He turned off the fan, closed the door to his room quietly, and went downstairs to greet the now emerging breakfast crowd.

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He sat down watching the hired help pass trays of food back and forth from the kitchen to the tables, and breathed in the vapors from his cup of coffee. He had slept on it, and had tried to work it off, but the nagging feeling in the back of his head refused to leave. There was definitely something with them that night in the reserve. It could have been a _loup-garou,_ but it sure didn't smell like one. The hairs on the back of his neck stood, but a long draught from the cup made them go away. One of the visitors asked to greet the managers, so he stood up and walked to say hello, his mind currently returning to wondering how Vivian was. As he shook the little girl's hand, he thought about sending for Aunt Persia to have a look at Vivian.

Meanwhile, Vivian was presently wrapped up in a big cocoon of sheets on the bed, trying to breathe through her nose in vain. Then she sneezed a huge and painful sneeze onto her shirt-handkerchief and rolled over onto her other side, trying her best to get back to sleep.

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Gabriel called Aunt Persia, and told her about Vivian's symptoms. Aunt Persia agreed that it was very strange for Vivian to get sick, but reminded him that neither of them should jump to any kind of conclusions. Gabriel sent Ulf out to go pick up Aunt Persia, with the excuse that they hadn't seen her around the inn in a while. He exhaled, and tried to clear _those_ thoughts from his head._ When it happens it happens. There's plenty of time,_ he thought. After all, he was only 28. They still had time for kids later. He picked up his brown leather jacket and walked out to town. He needed to clear his head. And also order groceries and pick some things up for Vivian from the store.

After a few hours, he returned to find a huge U-Haul mover's truck in front of the inn, and several sweaty men carrying furniture into the area. He dropped the lists off at the receptionist's desk, for Willem to take care of it. "Where's Vivie?" asked the receptionist, filing the lists into the computer.

"She's upstairs, she's… sleeping in late today. I'm letting her take the day off." So long as he didn't know what exactly was wrong with her, he wouldn't place any worry on the rest of the pack. He walked into the room downstairs, and ordered the movers around, telling them where to put the bed and the dresser. It took them a while to get it right though. He would tell them to move the dresser to the left, and maybe it was because of his intimidating nature, but the movers somehow managed to move it anywhere _but _the left.

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Vivian woke up drenched in a cold sweat. She inhaled heavily, but couldn't get any air from her nose, so she took big gulps of it into her mouth. She dreamt about being lost in the woods again, and Gabriel had found her. He was in his human form, but then some dark shadow had walked up behind her, and wrapped its arm across her, like Gabriel did, but the other hand cupped itself over her mouth and she couldn't scream. Gabriel didn't see her, and turned away from her, walking away. Then Vivian woke up. Whatever it was, it didn't have hands. Those were something like paws. Either way, it didn't want her to escape.

Gabriel had to unlock the door to walk into his room. He found his mate curled up into a little ball on the bed. For some reason she felt better to change into a _loup-garou._ He walked over to her, and buried his face in her golden fur, stroking behind her beautiful ears. She purred and licked his cheek. They sat like that for a long time, until Gabriel remembered why he had entered in the first place.

He reached over and felt her muzzle; the wet nose was colder than usual. She looked up at him and her eyes were sad. She was definitely sick. "How are you feeling?" She closed her eyes and stretched out as far as she could, changing back into her human form. He instinctively pulled the sheets over her, feeling those protective instincts kick in again.

"I'm feeling better." Her eyes were a dull gold, and her cheeks were flushed. She was lying. "Alright, so I'm not feeling so great. Actually, I'm glad you're here again. I had a weird dream just now." She rested her head on his shoulder and played with her moon pendant while she told him about the dream. He was silent, even after she finished. "What do you think about it? It's nothing to be worried about, right? I mean, it's just a dream."

"Yeah, it's probably nothing. You're just sick and having bad dreams, that's all. I called Aunt Persia; she should be here soon to check up on you."

She looked up into his blue eyes, and they weren't sparkling today. He was lying. He knew something was up, but didn't want to tell her. She would have interrogated him, but, at the time, she just sneezed into the shirt-handkerchief. "Which reminds me," he said, going back out of the room, and bringing with him a tray of food. Vivian sat upright, pulling the covers around her like a robe, curious to know what was being placed before her. Gabriel set the tray on the bed, and sat next to her, hoping he had pleased her.

Gabriel had brought some soup, and a glass of water, and crackers. This was a feast in her eyes, considering. She took big gulps of the salty broth, savoring the little bits of chicken and vegetables swimming around in her mouth. She hadn't felt this good about eating in a while. Being sick had really messed up her eating habits.

Then Vivian looked up at Gabriel, who was sitting on the bed right next to her, skimming through an _American Rider_ magazine. She scooted over slightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks babe. I didn't know you had it in you. Motorcyclist and nurse? Who would've guessed? I guess this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things." His velvet laugh shook the glass of water a little bit.

Someone knocked on the door, and Gabriel shot up out of the bed. "Hold on a minute." He ran over to the dresser, and pulled out one of his white undershirts. He handed it to Vivian, and waited until she slipped it on, before opening the door. Willem was waiting patiently outside, still wearing his name tag.

"I would've just called you, but both of you have your walky-talkies off. Hey Vivie, are you okay? You look tired." Vivian nodded weakly and took sips from the glass of water. It was tepid, so it didn't make her throat scratchy.

"She's fine. We just stayed out too late last night. What's going on?"

"There's some new guy downstairs. Says he wants to see you."

"And _that's_ why you had to come up here and tell me yourself?" Gabriel fought to keep the annoyed edge out of his voice.

"Yeah, I did. See, I think… well, you'll see when you get downstairs. Dude, he's not human. I mean, he looks very much like… you, and me."

"Shit!" Vivian pressed her hand to her mouth. She had bitten her tongue instead of the crackers. _Damn crackers_, she thought.

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Gabriel practically ran downstairs after that, but the receptionist's desk was empty. "Where is he?"

"I dunno. I left him here. Maybe he's in the kitchen…" They strode over to the kitchen, and pushed the swinging doors open. The cooks and waiters were all sitting around, eating their own lunches, and preparing for the large crowd that was soon coming. The guest was just sitting there, talking to the cook and drinking a bottle of beer as if it were an everyday thing. He was as tall as Gabriel, but not nearly as built. In fact, he was really lanky and sort of scrawny looking. But there was something about the way he was seated, his cool grace, which made him stand out. The young blonde man put the bottle down, and looked up at Gabriel, sizing him up with his green eyes.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Gabriel. I'm in charge of this inn." Gabriel held his hand out, and shook the stranger's hand vigorously. A regular human would have winced or cried out in pain from the handshake, but this stranger was still as cool as before.

"The name's Nathan. So… what's a guy got to do to get a room around here?" Gabriel wasn't going to be intimidated. In fact, he was getting annoyed. He didn't even know this guy, and already he was a pain in the ass.

"Willem, get this guy a room will you? You have the money for it, right?" The guest flashed a look of contempt at Gabriel, but was happy enough to be led by Will to one of the few empty rooms left downstairs.

It was difficult trying to decide what was to be done in these cases. Obviously Nathan was not human, but you can't exactly call him out for being a _loup-garou _or some other supernatural creature either.

In the meantime, Ulf walked in with a suitcase, while an older woman trailed not too far behind. It was Aunt Persia. Gabriel led her up to Vivian's room, where his beloved had fallen asleep again. Aunt Persia entered to rouse the teenager, and closed the door after herself leaving Gabriel to wait in the hallway. After about twenty minutes of questioning, the old woman emerged from the room to an expecting Gabriel.

"So?"

"It's hard to say. There is something going on with Vivian, but until she decides what that is, we can't be sure."

"What do you mean until she decides?"

"It's different for _loup-garou,_ naturally. Vivian's body is telling her something is happening, but it's up to her to decide what. And don't you go in there and put any ideas into her head either."

"I wouldn't. When it happens, it happens…no problem."

"Good boy." Aunt Persia touched Gabriel's forearm and walked down to the kitchen to look for something appetizing.

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"How are you feeling?" This was about the millionth time Gabriel had asked Vivian the question, but no matter how many times she answered it wouldn't satisfy him.

"Sick. And you shouldn't be getting so close. You could get sick too."

"I don't think that's possible. Our bodies work differently than a normal person's. Anyways, what did Aunt Persia tell you?"

"She said I should just rest. And think about what I want. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Think about what I _want_? Right now, all I really _want_ is to not feel like crap. I thought she would come in here, give me some herbs, and I'd be fine. She's making this whole cold thing into some kind of quest."

"Babe, she knows more about this than we do. It's best we just listen to what she says, okay?"

"Listen to what? Her premonitions about a cold? Ugh, never mind. What about the guest? He's a _loup-garou, _isn't he?" Vivian coughed, and tied her hair back, trying to sit up straight.

"I'm not sure yet. He's not human. But you can't exactly go up to someone with those kinds of questions."

"I would."

"I know you would. This is why it's good you're on bed-arrest for a while. It will keep you out of trouble, for a little while, anyway."

"Bed arrest? What have you done with my Gabriel, you corny man, you?" Gabriel laughed and was about to go over and tickle Vivian in the ribs, when a knock on the door interrupted them, as usual. Gabriel glanced at Vivian, watching her zip up her hoody; glad she changed into her work out clothes for Aunt Persia's visit.

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Gabriel walked over and opened the door, and instantly wished he hadn't. Nathan was standing outside, in the hall, with a cocky smirk on his face. He was about to shut the door, when the man walked himself right in.

"You know, people don't usually come in without asking," growled Gabriel.

"I know. And _you_ are?" Nathan said, directing the question to the only other one occupying the room. Gabriel fought against the urge to knock some sense into this smartass, but judging from Vivian's expression, she was about ready to do the same.

"She's my wife," Gabriel answered defensively. Nathan very bluntly looked Vivian up and down, pleased by what he was seeing. Despite her sickness, Vivian was still more beautiful than what was humanly allowed. Nathan apparently liked what he saw, and wasn't afraid to show it.

"I'm Nathan,'" he said extending his arm. "It's nice to meet a fine specimen every once in a while."

"_Why_ are you here?" Vivian's voice was icy, and sharp as a razor. She had managed to hide the nasally sounds of her cold, in case that would make her weak in the stranger's eyes.

"We need to talk. About the forest your inn is built right next to."

"What about it?"

"You're sitting on prized land. And the price has just gotten higher." Nathan was still looking at Vivian, apparently naming _her_ as the increase in price.

"I don't think so." Vivian shot up out of bed with her fists clenched. No one had the right to talk to her that way, and she was not afraid to let him know it.

"Take it easy Viv. The pack still needs to talk about this." Gabriel put his hand on her shoulder, and it was trembling. She was in no state to be getting agitated.

"No. This is between me, and the both of you."

"Who are you? Some kind of representative for some other pack around here?" Vivian's patience was wearing thinner now, and her body temperature was rising.

"No. I work alone. And you've just made my job a whole lot harder."

"Why? Stop talking in phrases. Tell me what the hell is in that forest. Right now." _Whoa, _Vivian thought, _my head is killing me. _

"Trust me. It's better if you don't know. What you need to be worried about is what you are willing to pay me to keep the rest of your pack safe."

"What, you want money?" said Gabriel, trying to direct the argument away from Vivian.

"No Gabe, we're not paying this asshole. We can take care of this pack ourselves. Whatever's going on we can handle it." It took her a lot more effort to make that last sentence sound sharp. For some reason, the room was starting to spin and Vivian couldn't quit trembling. She clenched her fists, hoping it would help her concentrate.

"I don't think so. You barely managed to get out of that forest with your lives last time. But it saw you, and its going to hunt for you now." Nathan turned and left Vivian and Gabriel in the room, still with their guards up.

Gabriel turned to ask Vivian what she thought, but the minute he faced her he realized something was up. She started to say something, but her body had other plans. It slowly started to shut down, leaving her to fall apart. He reacted faster than a human and managed to catch her in his arms three seconds before her face hit the floor. _Not good,_ he thought.


	8. Chapter 7

_AN: Thank y'all for the reviews! (I don't really say y'all, but I should, considering). So, I've been inspired by my beta reader, and a certain other author who also has a fantastic Gabriel and Vivian fanfic, to really put forth lots of effort on this chapter. So I hope y'all like it, and thanks for being patient. (Alright, I'm done saying y'all. Promise). _

Chapter 7:

"Vivian?! Come on baby, wake up." He rubbed circles into her back with his knuckles, but she wouldn't wake. At the same time, Aunt Persia walked in, as if she knew this was going to happen. She took note of the sky painted ceiling, and gorgeous mural that adorned the back walls of the giant bedroom, and nodded once to herself in approval, before going back to focusing.

"Set her on the bed, and close the windows. But don't turn on the fan. Alright, good. I'm going to need my bag, I left it outside my door, and you're going to need to stay out of here." He did exactly as he was told, fervently wondering if the possibility of their having a child would really be this bad for Vivian. Maybe they really weren't ready for it yet. _No, it's not my choice, _he reminded himself.

The old woman started pouring out different liquids from little vials into the earthenware bowl, and heavy scents filled the room. _Alright now, girlie. Its time for you to make your choice. What's it going to be?_ Exotic scents like myrrh and cinnamon floated around Vivian as she struggled in her sleep. Then Aunt Persia sat back in the sofa chair by the bed, looked up at the very realistic sky mural on the ceiling, and settled in for a long wait.

Gabriel was pacing in front of the door, and was a little startled by the scents coming out of the room through the barely opened door. If he could smell this, it would only be a moment before the pack could smell it. So, he shut the door and went downstairs, acting as if nothing was the matter. _I've grown soft,_ he thought, closing the door gently. He was startled when his cell phone rang, and cursed as he flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey, you. How's my baby doing?" He wished Esmé could stop talking in that particular tone of voice. It made him feel strange, and not in a good way. He was glad he had never done anything too serious with Esmé, thanks to the age difference, and because he had just never felt right about her for some reason. How wrong he had been, thinking Esmé was going to fill that void left behind when his first home had burned to the ground. Vivian was the only person who could care enough to do that. No one else in the world could take her place.

"She's… doing alright… Why are you calling?"

"Temper, temper. I just wanted to call and let you know you're invited to my wedding. And that we won't be back at the inn for another week or so. You know, we have to have all the fun we can before we settle down, right?" Actually, he didn't know. The most fun he'd ever had was with his bunny, erm, Vivian.

"Right… but what do you mean you're getting married? You know we don't…"

"Yeah, I know. But I didn't do it the first time, so why not? Alright… tell Vivie the good news, won't you? And tell your darling sisters I said hello. Kiss, kiss!" She hung up the phone, and Gabriel exhaled heavily through his nose. At least with her mom out of the picture, Vivian would have one less thing to worry about, and Gabriel would be rid of the strange feelings he had around Esmé for good.

And as for his sisters, the triplets, he hadn't heard too much from them recently. They decided to go off to boarding school for a while, but came back every holiday. He smiled as he remembered Vivian's concern when they started dating. _What if they don't like me?_ It was so unlike her to be worried about what others thought, because she had always been so headstrong. But luckily, they loved her almost as much as he did.

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Gabriel was about to go back into Vivian's room, when he remembered he was not allowed in there for probably the rest of the day. He exhaled again, and hoped everything would turn out right.

"Hey, Gabriel! Where's Vivie? She still upstairs?" Gabriel looked at Willem, with his childish face, and big eyes, and remembered he wasn't going to make anyone worry, least of all Vivian's best friend.

"She's still got a major hangover. And I mean major. It's a good thing Aunt Persia's here, huh?"

"Yeah! You know this one time, I had a hangover, and she made some-"

"Hold all calls for us today, will you? I'm going back out to get some more stuff."

"Yeah, no problem." Willem watched Gabriel put his brown leather jacket on and leave the inn. He was jealous of Gabriel once, jealous that he could go so easily from Esmé to Vivian, but now he knew Gabriel never loved Esmé. And Vivian was in good hands. He went back to the computer and typed some more numbers in, writing himself a sticky-note to hold all calls and sticking it to the phone receiver.

_What do I do?_ Gabriel thought as he revved the bike to life. So far, all his plan consisted of was getting out of the inn. He looked at the blue gray Vermont sky and wondered how long it would be until the end of the summer. _I need to go find whatever is in the forest._ He revved his bike again, and set off towards the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest, which was basically his backyard. What luck.

He parked the bike a little ways inside the forest, the roar of the bike mixing with the crunch of random fallen leaves, and left it inside the forest just enough that no one could see it, but also that it was nearby enough if he needed it. Then he peeled his shirt and pants off, threw them onto the grass, and changed into a _loup-garou,_ ready for the hunt that was to come.

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Nathan picked up a pinecone from an earthenware bowl full of the little prickly things, set on top of the dresser. The hard shell was covered in individual bits, which dug into his hand as he crushed the pinecone and strew the crumbs over the entire dresser. As he picked the bits out that had buried into his palm, he sighed and wondered why he did that in the first place. It wasn't uncommon for him to be doing some kind of bodily harm to himself, but it worried him that he'd been doing it more often now that he was here. He hated it here.

The room was painted beige, and the bed was big and comfortable. The bed frame was made of carved pine wood, and dyed light beige to coordinate with the walls. The window curtains were thick muslin, and white, and the sheets were cotton. There were very few decorations in the room, to add to its minimalist theme. Just the basket of pinecones and a couple of simple pictures of the reserve hung on the wall with no frames.

Everything in this room was so well picked, so perfect. He hated it. He hated the feeling of comfort and belonging bouncing off the walls in this room, and this inn. Everything about the room drew him in, made him feel at home, made him want to stay and forget about everything else, about all of his problems. He'd thought about it more lately, since he'd arrived. But he couldn't. He wouldn't. More important things had to be done.

Nathan walked back down to the lobby, and then to the living room area, to escape the allure of the room. The entire inn was decorated with a good mix of beauty and function. The tables were carved to also look like they could have been in an exhibit, but still retain a sort of quaint appeal. As were the cabinets, chairs, and shelves. He walked over to one of these shelves in the giant living room area, and touched the carefully chosen items on display.

Books such as _War and Peace_, and _Robinson Crusoe_, were leather bound with gold leaf on the titles, and aligned in neat rows like a sort of tiny library guests could look through. But above the seven or eight shelves reserved for library use, picture frames carefully cluttered the cubby. He picked up a simple gold frame, and sneered. _What makes them think they are _allowed_ to be so happy?_ He thought, looking at Gabriel's grin as he put his head on her left shoulder and wrapped his arms around her frame. Vivian had her hands on his arms, and her head leaned over slightly to the right, obviously enjoying all of the attention.

She was wearing a white dress in the picture, but this couldn't have been their wedding. Nathan just about dropped the frame onto the floor when he realized there was a graduation cap being tossed in the air behind them, instead, he pinged himself hard with a rubber band that had someone gotten attached onto his wrist. He wasn't masochist or anything; he just did it more and more often lately. He gagged when he glanced at the rest of the pictures, and had to walk outside for some fresh air.

When the breeze finally caught him, he was glad it did. _Traitors, _He thought. _They shouldn't be allowed to live in this kind of peace. No one deserves peace. Not even me._ He pinged himself and kept walking forwards.

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Meanwhile, in the forest, a dark shadow lingered behind the trees. It would slink this way and that, carefully making its way towards the best areas of the forest, where no sunlight crept in. It possessed a scary gracefulness in the dark. All the while, the dark creature kept watch on a certain _loup-garou_ that was working intently to track something or possibly someone. The shadow was fluid in its movement, stopping every few feet to let its bright yellow eyes examine its target with a sort of curious aspect.

The _loup-garou_ was careful. But not careful enough. It was focused on tracking something down, and didn't move in a set pattern, in case something was tracking him, but the creature slinked onwards towards him in amusement. It hadn't gotten a good hunt in a long time. It licked its lips and quickened the pace, before Nathan showed up. If anyone had been looking deep into the forest, they might have seen what looked like a blur of a huge black wolf, and a much, much larger shadow following it. But then the person would have seen the wolf creature moving along just fine, and the shadow falling into twitches and convulsions when the sunlight hit it, but it kept walking.

Nathan had just gotten to the edge of the forest, when he noticed Gabriel's motorcycle. If he hadn't flinched from pinging himself too hard with the rubber band, he might not have seen the small glare coming off of the bike's engine. It was very well hidden. But the sight of the bike made the adrenaline start pumping, and he took off his shirt and got ready for the hunt. But then another fateful breeze blew in his general direction. And he could smell it. It was on the hunt too. "Shit!" He ran into the forest, hoping to track both of them down before anything else could go terribly wrong.

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Aunt Persia got up and took another wet cloth to Vivian's forehead. Vivian flinched a little bit, at the icy cloth, but kept sleeping. The heady scents of cinnamon and ginger were now quickly becoming stifling. But Aunt Persia had been through this many times before. And she felt honored to help her queen on such a quest. She went back to her seat, and wiped the drops of sweat that were forming on her forehead. Vivian would be making her decision soon.

Gabriel ran as fast as he could. He had caught the scent, and it was very close. The leathery pads on his paws sank into the grass and mud. The wind was getting colder, and the end of the season would soon arrive.He had gotten soft, as a human, but fiercer as a _loup-garou, _from being with Vivian. He thought he was at his peak before he met her, but after years of being with her, his stamina, speed, agility, and strength were almost at their max now. And still Vivian managed to beat him. His jaw slackened a little as he thought about her. He _needed_ to find whatever was out here, soon.

The creature shivered with the shocks of electric energy running through it. It had been a long time since it had been let out for a good hunt, and he was going to make this one worth its time.

_Get back. NOW. _

The creature snarled. Of course _he_ wanted to come and spoil the fun.

_I mean it. Get back, Adam. Get back, NOW._

The dark shadow shuddered and let out a war cry. If Nathan wanted to stop him, he'd have to catch him first. Gabriel heard the cry and jerked to a stop. It had been right behind him all along. He bared his razor sharp fangs and ran towards the creature.

"Ugh!" Vivian groaned and rolled over onto her left side. She was heavily asleep, but having the strangest dream ever. In her dream, Gabriel was being chased by a much larger form of his shadow, and a baby boy with dark hair was walking around next to him, surrounded by a pool of light. _What is this?!_ She looked down, and noticed she was wearing her white nightgown still. _This is only a dream. It's just a dream. That's all._ She called out to Gabriel, but he kept walking around in circles, trying to catch his own shadow. "Gabriel! That's not possible, babe! Gabriel! Come here!" The little boy heard her cry out, and sat down. She noticed his eyes were golden and his hair a jet black. This baby boy looked very familiar. A cousin, maybe? She felt torn in half for some strange reason. Part of her wanted to go walk over to Gabriel, and show him there's nothing wrong with his shadow, and the other part of her wanted to cradle the child in her arms. She exhaled and took a step forwards.


	9. Chapter 8

_AN: Thank you for the reviews! It inspires me to know that people out there like what I write. A big thank you to my beta reader and to Jadecoyote for correctly identifying the creature I had imagined, and giving it a proper species name. And thank you all for being patient. So! Without further ado…_

Chapter 8

This baby boy looked very familiar. A cousin, maybe? Whoever it was, he wasn't afraid of what was going on around him. _What on earth is this child doing here?_ Vivian thought. This small child with his messy black hair seemed to carry with him all the joys of world, yet he held so many questions in his golden eyes. The child outstretched his arms to Vivian. _He wants to be held?_

Suddenly the large shadow stopped and noticed the child, and Vivian. Soon, it began to make its way toward them. "No!" Vivian screamed. All of a sudden she had the urge to protect this child, as if it were her duty. Vivian ran with all her might to get this small boy out of the way, but the shadow was coming towards them at a high velocity also. With all the effort she had left in her body, Vivian made a great lunge for the boy screaming his name out to break the curse of this nightmare.

She screamed, and shot upright onto the bed. Her fangs were sharp and feral.

"What did you say, Viv?"

"I … I don't remember… But Gabriel's in trouble. And I have to save him."

"If that is your wish."

"It is. For now."

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Gabriel spat up blood, but kept lunging. _If I stop, I'm dead_, he kept chanting to himself, over and over again in his head. He wouldn't die. Not now. Vivian needed him. He lunged again, and sank his powerful jaws into whatever was available, a flank, a calf, a shoulder, all the while tasting the coppery mess threatening to drown him. The creature howled and fought back against the _loup-garou_, swiping at it with its long razor claws.

Then he heard another set of paw prints closing in. He would've called to the _loup-garou_ for help, but he could smell it before it approached further. It was Nathan, and he was ready to attack. Gabriel howled a war cry that sent a pulse through the ground, all the way to where Vivian was running. She tore off her nightgown and changed into a _loup-garou_, still keeping up her furious pace.

_I need to get to him. He needs my help._

Vivian's muscles were clenching and flexing from the speed that she was acquiring. It felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. But she still felt as if she wasn't going fast enough, and time was slowing down.

Nathan trembled with the adrenaline pumping, and the excitement in the air. He was itching to kill that damn Gabriel. But he couldn't get in on the action. Not yet. Adam was unstable, swiping and clawing at everything; the ground, the trees, Gabriel. If he got in the way, he'd just end up a bloody mess. Part of Nathan felt heavy with guilt. He had promised Adam he wouldn't let him lose control anymore. But this was beyond control. Someone, or something, would die tonight.

Gabriel was tiring. He was almost to the point of breaking. But he wouldn't stop the fight. Someone had to die, and he wouldn't let it be him. He managed to escape the creature's swipe, and lunged again, getting a mouthful of muscle. The creature smelled, and tasted, like a _loup-garou_. But it wasn't. It couldn't be.

Nathan carefully smelled the air. The blood was getting headier, and muscles were getting torn now. Pretty soon he would get to go in, and finish the kill. He crouched down lower to the ground, ready to pounce, when he felt daggers slice through his flank. He cried out in immense pain, like he hadn't felt in a while, and tried to buck the loup-garou off of him. But she wouldn't move an inch. Instead, she bit down harder, trying to tear his ligaments. This new _loup-garou_ was more powerful even than Gabriel, and was ready to do some serious damage to him. Perhaps she would have, had Adam not intervened.

Adam yanked her off. And then she snapped. Adam was already seriously injured, but she was ready to finish the fight. Nathan's eyes clouded with uncontrolled tears as he watched his brother get mauled by the feral _loup-garou. _"Stop it! STOP IT!" he yelled, over and over again until he was sure the beast girl understood him. And, she actually stopped, and the creature rolled onto its side, panting heavily.

Vivian crouched low to the ground, still lusting for blood, still wanting revenge.

But then she noticed Gabriel, and how heavy he was breathing, and ran to him, and began licking his wounds. Nathan changed back into a half-human, and crawled up to Vivian. She turned her head to face him, bared her bloody teeth, and snarled. "Please, I just want my brother." Vivian half-changed and got up to answer him, in her human voice.

"That's your brother?" she said, through her sharp fangs.

"Yes. Please. Gabriel needs your help, and I need my brother."

"I don't care."

"Please Vivian. It's not his fault, he… he can't control this."

"What is he? He smells like a _loup-garou._"

"I wish I had more time to explain, but Gabriel isn't looking so good."

"I'm not going to leave your brother. Tell me why he should live."

"…Because you're not killing him. Not really. You… can't. He's a wendigo. And the only way to kill him is to burn his heart of ice."

"I've heard of that before…" Vivian paused, not sure of what to do. "All I care about is that that thing is psychotic, and homicidal."

"Please."

"Tell you what. I'll let you kill him. He's close to death now. He won't feel a thing."

"You can't … you can't do that."

"If you don't, I will. Either way I can't let that thing go free. It wants to kill, and if it's not Gabriel, it's someone from my pack. And if it's not one from my pack, then one from another will die."

"There… there must be some way to cure him."

"Come on, you know the stories as well as I do." She resented the fact that she still cared what happened to this guy's psychotic mutant of a brother. If she were a strong queen bitch, she could finish him off herself. But until she was certain there was no cure, she had to care. "I need to take Gabriel to Aunt Persia. Maybe she'll know what to do about your brother."

Vivian changed back into her _loup-garou_ form and picked up Gabriel by the scruff of his neck, swinging him over her shoulders. "Vivian, I can help you with that."

"No. He's my husband. I can do this." Vivian paced as quickly as she could back towards Aunt Persia's home, and found the old woman waiting for them outside, with a table set up with medicines and instruments outside, closer to the forest. Of course Aunt Persia would've known this was going to happen. She must have had a vision already. She carefully swung Gabriel onto the kitchen table, and changed back into her human form. "Tell me what to do."

"I've got this taken care of darling. He'll be just fine. You got him here in the right time. You need to help Adam."

"How?"

"You have to decide what to do. As the queen bitch, what is best for this pack? Here are some ropes, and a bucket of hot suet. If you decide he has a chance, feed him the hot suet until he throws up the evil inside him that's freezing his heart. If not, the ropes can hold him down until the sun comes back up and melts his heart. It's your decision."

Vivian was getting tired of hearing that. But it was her duty to decide what was best for her, Gabriel, and the pack. She ran back into the deep forest and hoped something would show up and make her choice for her.

Nathan was not afraid of touching his brother's mutated limbs. Adam looked like his old _loup-garou_ self, but the appendages were longer, and the claws like skeletal fingers. Nathan wished he hadn't let Adam do this again. The creature's breath was coming in short, quick gasps, from all of the wounds the pack leaders had inflicted on him. Nathan acknowledged their power for a moment, as he tended to the shallowest of his brother's wounds. If he hadn't stopped her, the queen might have bled him to death. And Gabriel had managed to live, despite facing the worst of Adam's attacks.

"Move Nathan."

"I can't. I won't. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing if you don't move." Vivian noticed the cuts and red marks on Nathan's arms in his half-human form. Nathan was hurting himself._ I'll deal with that later, _she thought. She handed Nathan the steaming pail of suet.

"What is this shit?"

"Raw beef and mutton fat. Feed it to him, until he throws up."

"And what's that supposed to do?!"

"Quit asking so many questions. His life is in your hands now." Vivian turned and left Nathan to deal with his brother. She knew it wasn't her decision, it was his.

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Gabriel opened his bleary eyes and saw his beautiful wife at his side, on his bed, playing with what looked to be knitting needles and biting her bottom lip in obvious frustration.

"What do you think you're doing?" he mumbled, still groggy from all of the painkillers.

Vivian's face lit up when she saw he had awoken, and descended down upon him in a shower of kisses. He laughed, and tried to remember the last thing that had happened. He fought the creature named Adam, and was injured, and now he was back in his room. "How long have I been out?"

"Too long," she muttered, burying her face in his neck, carefully. He had bandages across his arms, and chest. And new stitches on his face and knuckles.

"What are you doing? Or were you doing?"

"Oh, this?" She picked up the knitting needles and a baby blue colored square. "I dunno. It's nothing really. Just… something to pass the time. You've been asleep for a while."

"Does the rest of the pack know why?" he asked, his senses returning to him slowly but surely.

"Yes. Nathan explained everything to them."

"Is the creature…? Adam… still alive?"

"Barely. He's even worse off than you right now. Luckily you heal fast, because I am not a patient person."

He grinned and sat upright on the bed. "Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean?" She purred quietly and sat closer to him, still aware of the bandages.

Then he noticed how different she looked. Vivian's face was considerably softer, her lean muscles less noticeable. "Viv, why have you taken an interest in knitting?" She stopped kissing his neck, and smiled like he'd never seen her smile before. It was a gentle smile, full of promise.

"Well… I had a dream. And I saw a little guy, and he looked like you, and me, sort of. And it's been a week, and Aunt Persia says I should learn how to knit, to pass the time. I think knitting is rather stupid… but you know people … they normally do this when…"

"Are you saying…?"

"Maybe."

"Viv, you need to say it, or I won't believe you."

"What do you want me to say? That we're having a baby?"

"Yes." Somehow, knowing that, all of his wounds miraculously healed, and he had enough strength to jump out of bed, and pick up his beautiful wife, and spin her around the room, while she held on to him, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

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The whole pack was gathered at the dinner table, glad to have Gabriel back. He looked around and saw a couple of new faces. His sisters, the triplets, were present, and making big eyes at Nathan, who was trying to pass a plate of lamb to Vivian's mother's new husband.

And Adam was at the table too. Gabriel noticed Adam's black hair, and green eyes, like Nathan's._ When he heals, he'll look more like Nathan,_ he thought. Adam had a cast on his right leg and left arm and side, and bandages covering a lot of his visible skin. But Adam was laughing, and smiling.

Vivian made her special announcement, now being able to say it with Gabriel at her side, and there was an immense roar of noise and happy howling from the group. All of the non _loup-garou_ of the inn had left already, to continue their own lives, while Gabriel and Vivian were starting theirs.

After dinner, the pack left their leaders with Adam and Nathan, to talk things out, and explain what hadn't been said yet.

"Thank you, Vivian and Gabriel. For letting us into your pack." Gabriel looked at his mate's eyes, but never questioned her decision.

"And thank you for forgiving me. I never expected that." Adam looked younger than all of them; he looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. "I suppose I owe you an explanation, Gabriel. See… I… I got lost in the forest a long time ago, and the spirit of a wendigo descended on me. And I became mad by it, and I loved it. There was so much power. But I also grew hungry, for blood, for meat, for life, and souls. I could've taken yours, but you were strong. And Vivian was stronger."

"And Vivian let me save him. She gave me that chance. And so we asked to join your pack, to protect it." Nathan had lost all of his arrogant cockiness, and proved to be a quiet and humble young man.

"I see. Well, if Vivian says you're welcome, then I say so too."

"And congratulations on your baby," said Nathan.

"Just one question though." Gabriel looked at Adam, wondering what else needed to be said. Vivian had been silent the whole time, playing with her moon pendant, she looked at Adam too. "What will you name him?"

Gabriel laughed and ran his fingers through his hair, and looked at his wife with his bright blue eyes. "I don't know, actually…" Vivian smiled softly back at him, and took his hand.

"He told me his name. In a vision. It's Jacob." Gabriel's breath hitched, and he couldn't have been happier than at that moment.

"Jacob. That's a wonderful name," said Adam.

_AN: Don't worry. This isn't the end of the story! Not yet. I still have a few tricks in store for y'all.  
_

_But I hope you liked this chapter, and please keep the reviews coming. _

_Thank you!_


	10. A RANT

AN: I'm sorry, this isn't a real chapter update, but I promise I am working on new stuff in the meantime. Recent events in time called for a rant, and I would like to hear your opinions on the subject.

I just saw the Blood and Chocolate trailer on a popular music website spelled with only three letters, after I typed Blood and Chocolate under the search... and I must say I'm both excited and depressed by it. Obviously they've taken a lot of liberties with the original story, I'm just not sure I like them... at all.

From what I could tell:  
- Vivian openly referred to herself as a "werewolf"?!  
- Gabriel is looking like the bad guy, telling the pack they are going out for a hunt, which would NEVER happen in the open

- Aiden just told her she "can control this" ... the Vivian I know might have clawed his eyes out for daring to say that to her.

- They're pushing the Aiden and Vivian relationship the most, which I am seriously disliking!  
- I have no idea where this is set. NEW YORK!?!

And... grr! I shall HAVE to go see it.

But at least there should be some good special effects, considering the director.

Your opinions?


	11. Chapter 9

_AN: Thanks as always to those who leave me reviews to feed energy off of, and to Annette Curtis Klause, for a wonderful original vision. I must say, everyone needs to go see the Blood and Chocolate movie, despite the brand new and questionable storyline, and I shall continue pushing the Gabriel and Vivian relationship, because I like it best. And Laya, I did look it up right after you mentioned it, and in fact, Gabriel's hair is black, and Vivian's is gold. And now, without further ado, here comes…_

Chapter 9 (_please review_)

There was rain on this night, and the event was originally planned to be an outdoor ceremony. But that didn't stop the pack of _loup-garoux_ gathered to shed their clothes and become their true forms under the millions of cold darts of water. Vivian's mother, Esmé, was positively glowing in her golden fur, and so was her new husband Tomas.

Vivian didn't know what her father would've thought of Tomas. She liked to think he would've been happy for Esmé, for picking up the pieces of her life and moving on. _Oh moon goddess, let her be happy for a long time this time._

There weren't normally weddings for _loup-garou,_ just as it was very rare for one to be totally committed and faithful to another. Vivian's mother had done a wonderful job with this ceremony. There were little white lights scattered amongst the trees, like rogue fireflies, and the ceremony had been thankfully short, with Aunt Persia improvising her own version of _loup-garou_ vows.

A drop of rain hit her nose, and she sneezed, which prompted a brilliant pair of blue eyes to turn towards her general direction. Gabriel had promised he wouldn't become overly protective, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it. Still though, she loved him, and she loved the idea that she had been tamed enough to have a child soon. The jet black furred _loup-garou_ strode over to her, and muzzled her gently, a symbol of affection as well as an urging to get out of the rain, especially in this cold weather.

But her mother only got married once before, and Vivian planned to make the most of _this_ ceremony, so her amber gold eyes shone brighter and she whimpered once in anticipation. Tonight they would run, and they would celebrate in running, for her mother. Gabriel cocked his head in acknowledgement, and his lips curled over his fangs, like a crooked smile.

The pack gathered in a large circle around the king and queen, and the newly weds. Vivian's eyes scanned the blur of multi-colored fur, and the brilliant eyes reflecting back at her, recognizing the new pairs, like the half-human cub, the dark haired _loup-garou _that was strangely taller than the rest, and the one with the mischievous green eyes next to the Five. Will and Ulf had no problem accepting Nathan and his brother into their group, which was a positive reflection of what this pack had become. Accepting.

She arched her back, and then curled her shoulders back; letting out a howl in time with Gabriel's echoing bass one, to signal the start of the run.

Vivian wasn't any slower now than she had been before, and was very soon far in the lead. Gabriel was only seconds behind her… growling, and snapping his sharp teeth. Of course he didn't want her to be this far ahead, but it didn't matter. Soon she would lose her beloved speed and abandon, and so she needed to make the best of the few runs she was still allowed to lead.

Her paws sank slightly into the damp earth as she pushed for longer strides. Through her wet fur she could feel the temperature slowly drop. The rain had become even more like darts that went right through her fur to her skin, and all across her muzzle. But still she kept pushing for more speed, loving the thrill of a careless run. She heard more steps pounding behind her, and turned around briefly to acknowledge them. The Five, Adam, and Nathan had come close enough to catching up with Gabriel, and Vivian growled happily.

They had grown. She had to know that. And more and more each day she noticed the changes that occurred to her too. She wasn't scrappy Vivian anymore, rough around the edges and down on her luck. And she wasn't bitter Vivian, looking for trouble and trying desperately to get away from it. Deep down she knew she wouldn't go against the tide forever.

Still though, even now part of her wanted to push onwards, and keep her lead ahead of everyone else, but for once she slowed down just slightly enough for them all to catch up with her.

They made a crescent moon shape under the real moon, howling in unison, the rain calming down to a soft drizzle. Esmé and Tomas stood by Gabriel and Vivian, and then the beautiful silvery gray _loup-garou_ strode forward.

Vivian watched Aunt Persia half-change and finish saying the blessings, with her long and shiny gray hair getting plastered to skin and fur. She bowed her head, and they all bowed their heads, to the full moon goddess above them that had given them this good run, and their life, and health.

All of the _loup-garoux_ gathered raised their heads up in unison, letting the great primal cry escape them. Vivian's eyes opened wide, and she was startled at first, not sure from where she got the power to cry out like that, but then she heard the deep and wonderful bass voice behind her, and decided to add her tenor voice to match it.

The men fought for show amongst the women, who lay on their bellies watching and being entertained. Vivian's nerves were always on edge when she had to watch the fighting. Even play fighting made her nervous. Gabriel didn't really have to join, being the alpha-male, but he always had a bit of a show-off inside him, so he joined the circle of men gathered in the middle of the large circle of females.

Vivian laid face down on the damp earth, smelling the wet grass and rain, and saw her mother fully stretched out beside her. Of course her mother would enjoy watching this. _At least she has someone now, and it's not Gabriel,_ she thought.

Gabriel's edges had been smoothed down considerably by her too, she noticed. When they were together he was a completely different person than from the one she saw now. He was, first and foremost, a fighter. Then he was her lover. Vivian watched as he took down three, four, and then five considerably larger than him. Some of the smaller ones, including Tomas, had decided to stay out of his way, or else step down. She laughed when the blonde took his spot next to her mother. _He's never been one for fights._

None of the _loup-garoux_ would be harmed more than a few scratches, but those would heal inhumanly fast. The Five had already taken each other out, and in the end it was just Nathan and Gabriel. Adam, the one that used to be possessed by a wendigo, was not allowed to join the fights sometimes. The pack wanted to keep him safe, mostly from himself.

Uncle Rudy had to call the end of the fight, because Nathan was getting too riled up. Gabriel had kept calm, considering, but there would be some scratches on Nathan that ran deeper than the others tonight. Still though, Gabriel was the winner, because he had Nathan up against a corner, hypothetically, and because he was the alpha-male. They half changed and shook hands, and then went to join their group.

Vivian noticed her lover's eyes sparkle. He longed for fighting. She knew that deep down they were both still the same as always. He was always looking for more bunny than he could chew.

As the moon dipped, the _loup-garoux_ headed back towards the inn. All of the humans in the inn had been asked to leave, for some last minute internal improvements, so the pack was free to do whatever they wanted. In a few hours Vivian's mother would be whisked away to start her life over and Vivian would be gathered in the living room with her age mates, and her pair bond.

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The rest of the pack that was still up late. So they watched cheesy horror movies, for old time's sake, and to calm down the adrenaline flow. There was a lot of fake blood, and the scream of the girl running through the random woods was interrupted by several misplaced howls, and various pitched laughter. Then Ulf changed into his _loup-garou_ form and walked over to the TV, placing his ferocious face next to the screaming girl's… a decided improvement on the movie.

Adam and Nathan had grown into the pack, and spent a lot of the time with the Five. Adam had made a lot of progress in his recovery recently, but he still looked and smelled a little different from the rest of them. And Nathan had stopped hurting himself. At least, Vivian was mostly sure of it. Her thoughts were interrupted when Adam threw a cushion at a snarling Ulf by the TV, and he turned and barked at him. Then they started play fighting.

Vivian picked her legs up off the floor and held them close to her while Gabriel got up and shoved the coffee table, carved out of several beautiful pieces of driftwood, out of the way. If they had to play fight, at least they shouldn't break something.

Adam was clearly stronger than Ulf. Then the rest of the Five, with the exception of Willem, stepped in. Sensing an unfair advantage, and still looking for a fight, Nathan changed to give his brother backup. But the play fighting started getting more vicious, and the barks were getting a lot louder, and Vivian worried Adam would get too excited, so she nodded to Gabriel, who was crouched near the center, like a makeshift referee.

They stepped down, and changed back, pulling shirts on and settling back down on the sofas, after shaking hands and thumping shoulders with palms in truce. _Where's Will?_ She thought, taking another sip from the bottle of water she constantly had in her hands, at Gabriel's urging.

They went back to watching the movie, which had been paused, when Willem entered. He had found a ratty blonde wig, and stuck several pillows under his stolen dress, which looked like it may have been one of Aunt Persia's, rested his hands on the small of his back, and waddled into the living room towards Vivian. The group erupted into laughter, and Willem did his best to keep a straight face. "Move over honey," he said, nudging, the pushing Vivian out of his way. She sat on Gabriel's lap and he rested his hands snugly around her waist.

"Willem…"

"It's Willemina, honey." The rest of the Five rolled around on the floor, laughing.

"Fine… Willemina. What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm preggers, honey! What? Do you need me to draw you a picture? What you need to be asking is who my baby's daddy is … and the answer is… I can't remember." Willem then proceeded to rant about various problems he had faced trying to locate the baby's daddy out of the pack. "I swear, I've asked everyone… Uncle Rudy didn't even answer me. But then again… goodness knows that old fart is in no mood to be having children."

Her ribs hurt from how hard she was laughing. And Gabriel had real tears running down his cheeks. "Oh come here honey, take a listen." Willem put his hand on Vivian's face and pulled her to his cushioned belly. Then he pushed his stomach out once sharply. "Oh would you look at that? It's kicking. Do you want to know what I shall call it?"

"It?"

"Yeah, you know how it is; they look so alike when they're that age." Gabriel raised his brow, but kept chuckling. No one knew where this conversation was going. "I call it Willemina Junior… or Millard, depending on how much its kicking. Imagine, Millard and Jacob, best friends forever. And soon you'll be this big." The chuckling died down a little. No one could really imagine all of that happening to Vivian yet. "What I waddled over here to say is, you should have a baby shower. And I'm throwing you one. The old biddies can throw you another one later, like a proper one, but Willemina is throwing you one this weekend, and all of you stingy asses in here better come. And bring something good." The man in drag proceeded to get up and push those lying on the floor around to prove his point, warning them to get their stingy asses over to the baby shower of the year.

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"That was sweet," she said, pulling on a long sleeved cotton shirt and long pants. Recently Vivian had traded in satin for flannel, to mark a change of weather.

"That was ridiculous" he said, pulling out the comforter and jumping onto the bed. He could never get used to the idea of wearing a pajama shirt, but she would never mind.

"Yeah, but you laughed. Everyone did… I'm excited for my fake baby shower."

"Me too." Vivian raised one eyebrow turned to face him. He was looking at her the same way he usually did when he thought she wasn't looking. And she could tell all he was thinking about at that moment was her. "You know, I can't imagine you that big yet."

"Good!" she said, flushing and running her hands to her still taut stomach. He laughed and reached out his arms, so that she could take her place next to him. "You know, I worry about you sometimes."

"Me?" he said, his voice a comforting thunder in her ear.

"Yeah, I worry once I get that big you'll forget about … me… and just focus on Jacob. I've seen it before; they greet the belly before they greet the mother… Oh, but that's so messed up though… I shouldn't think like that."

"No, it's not. And I won't…Mmm, how could I?" His skin warmed, then burned her through her flannel pajama. Then when he nipped at her neck, she could feel the extra energy from the moon still coursing through her veins. _That just needs to be burned off,_ she thought.

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At breakfast Vivian was happy enough to share some quiet time with Uncle Rudy. "What?" she asked when she noticed he was looking at her in a strange way.

"It seems like only yesterday you were thirteen and without a home. And then you and the pack came to stay with me. I remember wondering so many times why She would do this to you, to us. How time flies… I always knew you'd end up with someone good for you, though. You're a good person, baby. And Gabriel, he couldn't have anyone better." It was poignant and strange that he was saying all of this, and Vivian's eyes brimmed with tears. She watched Uncle Rudy get up, carrying his mug of coffee to the kitchen sink, and was left all alone in the living room.

Sometimes, especially during quiet alone time, memories would flash by in her head, like pictures on reel.

_Calling out to her father while the roar of fire rang in her ears._

_ Watching Gabriel hand a baby to its mother while her home burned in the background._

_Drawing an upside-down star on Aiden's hand._

_ Being accepted, and then rejected from the Amoeba._

_Getting teased by the Five, including Rafe._

_ Winning the title of alpha-female, and then running away from it as fast as possible._

_Getting shot, and getting stuck as neither a loup-garou nor human._

_ Kissing Gabriel for the first time, and realizing then how much more she wanted out of life._

_Getting her driver's license._

_ That summer with Gabriel, when neither of them knew how far they had already fallen._

_ Watching a mother give birth to a loup-garou child._

_ Her nineteenth birthday, when she got everything she wanted, and when Gabriel got new scars on his back that just would never heal._

"Viv," a soft thunder in her ear woke her up from her dreams. She had rested her head down on her arms on the table for only a second, and had fallen asleep. Her cheeks were flushed and her heartbeat throbbed in her ears. "What were you dreaming?"

She leaned her head up and tangled the fingers in her left hand through his black hair, pulling him down and kissing him ardently, like she had the very first time. She could hear the familiar rumbling deep in his chest, like a purr. "Ah, I see" he said, when her lips had finally ceased. Sometimes they joked around and said they could read each others minds, and sometimes, like just then, Vivian really believed that to be the truth.

For a moment, neither of them knew what to say, and had entirely forgotten what they had to do in the first place. Vivian liked those times best, and she laughed. "Damn it Viv… you've done it again…" Gabriel could not for the life of him figure out what he had gone to the living room to say. He smirked and shook out his shorter hair. Vivian had cut it for him recently, so now it reached just above his collar. But she could never fully get rid of the five o'clock shadow he always had on his face, which she reached her hand out to feel.

"Hey! Sorry, am I interrupting?" Nathan leaned against the living room's doorway, crossing his arms over his chest in a relaxed pose. Instinctively her eyes went to his wrists, which were neither red streaked nor elastic band adorned. "You… we are supposed to be going down to the ravine? … And then biking down to the beaver pond?" She noticed his green eyes were brighter, and the mountain air had done him good. He wasn't as pale, and working for Gabriel had made him less lanky. Still though, he couldn't lose the cocky swagger.

"Yeah, sure. Let me just go change into something" she replied, getting up from her chair with the empty plate, where her bagel had been, and headed towards the sink. She heard Nathan's steps leave the hardwood floored living room and head back towards the lobby.

The hired help had been asked to take a couple of weeks off, for her mother's wedding. So, one of the older women would usually be in the kitchen doing a little washing up, but no one was around today.

From the open curtains in the large window by the sink she could see the day outside. Everything was vivid, and the grey blue sky was clear. Autumn was having the last of its few good days before the winter came.

Vivian turned the sink on and sprayed her plate, and Uncle Rudy's mug. Then she reached over and picked up the sponge, and gave the plates a quick rinse.

She could feel the heat radiating off of his body, and his special scent, and from the way her body fit against his, knew who it was even before she turned around. Again, a memory flashed back from a long time ago.

_Once she hadn't enjoyed it when Gabriel stood so close behind her. Once her hands trembled and he had to cut apart her bagel before she sliced herself._

Now Vivian was perfectly capable of finishing up washing the two dishes in the sink, while he rested his head on her shoulder, and wrapped his hands around her ribcage. She put them on the rack to air dry and ducked out from under his arms.

Vivian ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room, giggling, and noticed her backpack had already been put on the bed. It was hardly filled, since they could rely on what nature gave them when they were in their loup-garou form, but sometimes, especially when leaving the inn and going to the reserve, there would be some random tourists. The ravine they were headed towards was in the very deep woods, as was Aunt Persia's lodge. "What's all this for? I thought we were just going down to the ravine?"

"Yeah, that was what I was supposed to tell you. We're …camping out. Just the group from last night. Will planned this all out, and I approved it."

"You did? What about the ones here?"

"Uncle Rudy, and Aunt Persia are here, and we have capable men in the pack."

"And Adam?" the question slipped out, almost like an afterthought, but she just never felt completely safe around him, and didn't want him to be alone too long.

"Adam will come with us." Gabriel used his diplomatic, yet reassuring, tone of voice.

In less than an hour the group from last night was hiking up towards the ravine, wearing backpacks that would soon be thrown on the floor in favor of more comfortable fur. The trees echoed with the sounds of laughter. Willemina hadn't abandoned her pretend child.

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That night, the temperature dropped to 40 degrees but the group barely noticed. Willem had everyone gathered around the campfire, still in their human forms, wearing makeshift crowns. Vivian looked like a wild forest goddess with the flowers in her hair and the gold of the firelight playing against her skin.

"And now, please present your presents to her highness. They'd better be good. Or else." Willemina shook a fist in Adam's face, who laughed and pulled another leaf out of the ground to stick into his hair. Gabriel didn't want to wear a crown, but Vivian made him tuck a feather behind his left ear. The eight people gathered brought out their backpacks, which they hadn't abandoned yet, and presented their presents.

Oingo Boingo played in the background, from a stolen boom-box, against various woodland noises as Willemina grabbed Gregory's backpack from him. Gregory blushed furiously and clenched his hands into fists as Willemina rummaged through and finally pulled out a teddy bear.

"Tis a cuddly stuffed mammal, for you my queen, from Sir Gregory. May it serve little Jacob well." The group clapped, and Willemina tossed Gregory back his bag.

The rest of the ceremony proceeded in much the same way.

"Tis bottles with little… doggies… on them from Sir Adam"

"A bag of diapers from Sir Ulf"

"A soft woolen, or maybe cotton…something… blanket from Sir Nathan. It too has little… doggies."

Vivian laughed the whole time, and thanked her friends for the gifts, and then Willemina disappeared for a few moments, and came back with a big black trash bag. "This is my present to you."

"What is it?"

"Open!"

Vivian half-heartedly untied the knot on the bright yellow plastic strings. She looked inside the bag and found a huge egg. She picked up the big plastic egg, and held it up to the firelight. It was see through, and she saw an enormous amount of much needed baby supplies; bottle cleaners, rattles, pacifiers, and bottles of shampoo. The whole thing was blue, and decorated with… little doggies. She laughed and her eyes became blurry, but not wanting to cry in front of anyone, she forced them back and didn't shed a single one.

"Now it is time for the games!"

"What?"

"Baby showers have games. Duh. The first is a sample tasting game, since I had originally bought this as part of the gift, and then realized it won't be fresh nine months from now." Willemina again disappeared, and then reappeared with a white plastic shopping bag. From the bag came dozens of little glass jars filled with baby food. Vivian's eyes grew wide, and she laughed again at the quantity of them. There must have been at least twenty little glass jars. He then handed everyone plastic spoons, and a jar. "First, a toast, to baby Jacob. May he rule with an iron fist, like…"

"Alright, that's enough" said Gabriel, raising one eyebrow. They clinked little jars and then opened them with a satisfying pop. Vivian was reluctant to have a taste of the mystery contents, but everyone else was game, with the exception of Gabriel who looked just as nervous as she did. Finally she just stuck her spoon into the jar and took a spoonful. A tasty sweetness filled her mouth, with just the tiniest bit of tartness to it. Apple.

"Now you must announce to the group which flavor you got. Please note that these are special jars, some are for when he's really little, and then some are for when he's got little teeth."

"Oatmeal" said Adam with a calm expression on his face.

"Creamed spinach" said Nathan, clearly scrunching his nose.

"I got sweet potato" said Gregory, taking another spoonful.

"I got apple," chimed in Vivian, wondering if she wanted another taste. "And you?"

Willemina responded that she was fortunate enough to get the one called "fruit medley."

Gabriel had been silent the whole time, and Vivian wondered if he was having any fun at all. This wasn't the kind of thing he would ever do, and she wondered if maybe he felt like all of this was stupid. "What about you, babe?"

"Beef" he stuck the spoon back in, and the little jar clinked loudly. It was empty. The group howled with laughter and proceeded to finish the rest of the little jars. By the end of the game, there was a plastic bag full of empty jars, and the group had decided Jacob would probably like apple, beef, carrots, sweet potatoes, fruit medley, and peaches the best. They spent the rest of the night playing stupid games, like who could drink out of the baby bottle fastest, Gregory won, and dancing to Oingo Boingo.

That night they put away sleeping bags they wouldn't need, and changed into their _loup-garou_ forms. Vivian shivered as she lay down on the dry and crunchy leaves, but then a comforting weight sank upon her. Gabriel had lain his head down on her shoulder blades, and she wasn't cold anymore. She stayed up watching the fire die out, and the embers fizzle, while all around her the heavy breathing of _loup-garoux_ mixed with noises of the outdoors.

_How could this get any better? _She thought, and then felt a soft hand scratching behind her left ear. Gabriel knew her weaknesses all too well. Vivian fell asleep with a happy purr caught in her throat.


	12. A NOTE

**A Note from the Author:**

_My darling readers, _

_First of all, I have gotten a lot of people asking when there will be an update/if I'm still alive. I am. And thank you all _so_ much for being so patient! _

_I've had some family/school stuff getting in the way recently. But I promise I am working now, and very diligently, so be expecting a new chapter by the end of this week._

_And for those of you who have replied to my rant, thank you. I appreciate that you feel as strongly as I do about the movie. However, it has come to my attention recently that the author did not even take part in producing the movie, so she is just as unsure about what to expect as are we all. So please, be nice, and do not blame her. And I recommend all of you who enjoy the book as much as I do to grit your teeth and bear it. Who knows? Maybe we shall all be happily surprised._

_Just for a little tease of what I'm working on…_

She paused mid bite and tried to say something, then swallowed it and finished what she was trying to say "ugh- your shisters?- coming?- When are your sisters coming?"

"They'll be here real soon. They get two weeks off for Christmas break."

_- - -_

They came back as the sun came down, hot, sticky, and worn out from the concert.

- - -

"I worry about it sometimes. It's _very_ possible others would come… But..."

"I know. Both of you are safe here." She nodded and got up suddenly, deciding she wasn't going to press matters further.

_- - -_

_I hope you're at least a little intrigued now! _

_And on that note, be patient just a little longer, I promise I will get a badly needed update soon._

_And as always, please review._

-Patricia


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: Thank you all **so** much for being so patient… again! But moving on, the last chapter was just a bit of fun on my part. Please note that the characters (except for mine) all belong to Annette Curtis Klause, as does the setting. Also note the children's book title is not mine, and it is an actual book that I have read, that is very good. And Dahlia, I really tried to submit a review, but was unable to. Please know I did love your last chapter, and I hope you can manage to stretch the story a bit longer (I'm not quite ready to let go… Heh.) And now, prepare yourselves…_

**Chapter 10**

Vivian looked at herself once more in the full length mirror attached to the inside of the closet door. Wiggling in to some very loose and stretchy jeans, she stuck her butt out a little bit, then grinned. _Yeah, it's definitely bigger_. Vivian had managed to cleverly disguise most of her pregnancy. Not that she was ashamed of it at all, but she still had to get used to having lost the tautness around her abdomen. Now at three months into her pregnancy, she had developed a soft belly, and had gained nearly five pounds. She slipped the empire-waisted top, one of many, on over her head, and then reached up and tied all of her hair back into a ponytail. She paused for a second and inched her face closer to the mirror, then turned to her right, looking at her profile. Her eyes grew wide and she reached her hands up to her chest. _Wow. They're bigger too_.

"Viv? Almost done yet, baby?"

"Yeah, just a second." She fought against the urge to pull her top down just a little, to reveal the new and improved cleavage, and picked up her jean jacket from the floor. Gabriel was leaning against the wall outside the bedroom. He held out a clear plastic bottle for her, before looking her up and down with a happy grin on his face. He had to admit, he didn't mind the changes either. "No way, Gabe. Do you even _know_ how many times I've had to go to the bathroom today?"

"Just take it."

"Fine. So, is everyone else ready to go?"

"Just about." He walked into the bedroom, reached into the underwear drawer, pulled out a little box and opened it. Vivian had forgotten her chain with the moon pendant. She wore it instead of a ring, just in case she forgot to take the ring off during one of the changes.

"Oh! …Thanks." She slipped it on, and felt the pendant as big as the inside of her palm bounce against her ribcage. The action made her wonder when Jacob would start kicking a lot. Vivian pushed the thought out of her head as she walked down the stairs to meet up with the rest of the pack, and some human guests in the lobby. "Good morning all." She said, before making a beeline towards the kitchen.

The cooks smiled as they passed her a plate of scrambled eggs with a side of Canadian bacon, toast, and extra sausage links. None of them objected to all the meat. They thought it was just her pregnancy that was giving her these strange cravings. Truth was, she was more than happy to get to eat whatever she wanted, and as much meat as she wanted, with the excuse that she was eating for two._ I guess this isn't so bad since I get to eat whatever I want with no complaints from anyone. Heh._ Still though, Gabriel sat beside her drinking a cup of coffee, and offering her some more water, which she mostly refused. She paused mid bite and tried to say something, then swallowed it and finished what she was trying to say "ugh- your shisters?- coming?- When are your sisters coming?"

"They'll be here real soon. They get two weeks off for Christmas break." _Oh good. I can only imagine how dreadful spending the holidays stuck as a human must be. _She shuddered at the thought. _Boarding school._

"Should we…"

"No, I don't think there'll be a need to close the inn down again. We could use the steady income from the winter tourists. Now hurry it up. Concert's at one."

The Five stumbled into the kitchen, all at once, with Adam and Nathan following close behind them. "Morning Vivie! I see you're stuffing yourself like crazy. Go easy on the grub would you?" Willem gave her shoulders a little squeeze, before sitting down in front of her, Gabriel was beside her, and the rest of the Five sat in their usual chairs on the circular table, throwing smug comments at her like they usually did. This was becoming a habit. Just as soon as the group was done eating, and insulting each other, they got up and walked to the outside of the inn where their trucks and motorcycles were parked.

Vivian made them all wait for a few minutes while she used the bathroom, yet again. Although if anyone remarked on _that_ she'd kill them. Vivian then joined them outside, where she swung her leg over Gabriel's big black bike. He laughed and picked her up by her waist, as if she weighed nothing at all, and carried her over to one of the trucks while she kicked and protested. "No way! I want to ride in the bike! Are you serious?" He strapped her in with the seatbelt, put a new water bottle on her lap, and closed the door. She frowned, but didn't protest any longer. Obviously this was safer, but she didn't like having to ride in the truck when she could've been with Gabriel instead.

Gabriel knew what she was trying to say without saying it, and walked over to the truck, opening the driver's seat door. "What's up big brother?"

"Get out Ulf, I'm driving."

"Whatever you say, boss." Gabriel raised one eyebrow and shook his head, all the while Ulf walked over to the black bike, laughing the entire time. Nathan revved his green bike, impatient with the lot of them, and then they finally headed out. In forty five minutes time, they would be at the concert they'd been planning to attend for weeks.

Vivian dipped farther into her seat, picking up her huge tinted sunglasses, resting her knees on the dashboard, and playing with the knobs on the radio, to look for a station. Occasionally there were a few snippets of a song, and more fuzz, as she skimmed channels. Finally she gave up on looking altogether and pulled the visor down, to get one of her mix CD's from the visor organizer. Gabriel said nothing the whole time, being thoroughly amused by his mate's actions, actions that appeared more and more often since the beginning of her pregnancy. He started wondering when these actions would be more…chaotic.

Finally she picked a red CD, stuck it into the player, and turned the volume up. The Cardigans played on the radio, as did the only song Vivian would belt out and dance to while seated inside the truck. "Momma tells me I shouldn't bother, that I ought to just stick to another man, a man that surely deserves me," she pointed at Gabriel shaking her shoulders "but I think you do!" He smirked and kept right on driving.

_Love me, love me, say that you love me. Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me. Love me, love me, pretend that you love me. _

By the end of the song, Vivian had pulled the sunroof down, and all of the windows, singing the words out as her companions passed on motorcycles. She made sure they could hear her. Gabriel only shook his head while tapping out the rhythm on the steering wheel, but still being very much focused on the road. "I love that song," she laughed, taking a swig from the bottle. The sun beat down warmth on her skin and face as she leaned closer to the window, still dancing and singing, her hair managing to escape from her ponytail and whip around her face. Even then, when most humans would've looked like blown away messes, she managed to make wind tossed hair effortlessly good looking.

"Now put one on that I like," said the deep thunder beside her.

"You liked _Lovefool_!" He laughed, but at the same time waited to see what she would put on. _Loup-garou_ chose mates for only a while, but he had chosen her for life, and occasionally liked giving her little tests, just to see what her answer would be. He would never get mad at her for failing, because she never failed. She just showed him she knew him better than he knew himself in most cases.

Vivian scored big points when she put on _Californication_ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He lip synched to it, beating on the steering wheel with more vigor, and even moving his head around in perfect natural syncopation. She smiled fondly at her mate with his black sunglasses and collar length black hair, looking like a scruffy cologne model, lip synching to an old Chili Peppers song. These were the times when she felt he was just the same age as she, twenty one, and not twenty seven. He reached his hand out, and wrapped it around her, driving with one hand while she buried her face in his neck. She could feel his throaty growl deep down, the one he always had around her.

_Marry me girl be my fairy to the world, be my very own constellation, a teenage bride with a baby inside getting high on information. And buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication._

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Perhaps humans do have some small sixth sense, a sense that tells them who they should and should not be hanging around. The same is also true in reverse. The sense gives way to desires, to wanting to be just like these strange people, to talk to them, to be around them, like celebrities. Vivian felt strange now that she had been suddenly thrust into the opposite side of the spectrum. All her life Vivian had been a relatively happy outcast, always knowing she could never quite fit in. _Like a square peg for a round hole._ Aiden had tried to be that peg, once. But nature knows what its doing. And if it didn't, it would evolve. _Maybe nature's trying to tell us something. Look at the half-child in our tribe. Katherine. _Vivian's observations were momentarily interrupted as the gang arrived at the concert. Heads turned at the guests who had showed up, stepping off beautiful and impressive motorcycles and trucks.

The old Vivian, the one without Gabriel, would have liked all of the attention. She could tell in their faces they were envious of her, of them. They weren't like humans. They were better. The new Vivian glowed with confidence, and let Gabriel put an arm around her waist, looking around at all of the jealous faces from behind her tinted sunglasses. She tossed her golden hair back and started walking.

All of the same old adrenaline came rushing back from before. Vivian had always been a concert girl. She already scoped out the best patch on the hill, and noticed how far away it was from the drink booth. _No way. I'm going to be a good mother. _As they walked, heads kept turning, and whispers followed them. She knew they looked formidable. Enviable. Gorgeous. But she didn't get as much satisfaction out of that as she would have. Now, just seeing Gabriel's shocking blue eyes every morning gave her all of her pride and energy. A quick glance over at her pack, and she knew she was the only one thinking like that. Nathan and Adam might as well have been strutting with how much they enjoyed the attention, and the Five were just being hams.

The band got on, and the pack lost some of their thunder, but not much. Occasionally people would turn around, just to see what that woman was doing, or what they were drinking. And Vivian just smiled, because she couldn't have cared less.

A lone guitar played a sticky melody, sure to be stuck on everyone's mind long after the concert was over. Vivian smiled wide. Gabriel had sung this one to her once or twice before. When he was sure not another soul would ever hear him.

_Tell me baby what's your story, where you come from and where you wanna go this time? Tell me lover, are you lonely? The thing we need is never all that hard to find._

They came back as the sun came down, hot, sticky, and worn out from the concert. Vivian had gotten Gabriel to lift her up on his shoulders for a better view, and then wished she could have some of the foamy beer in the plastic cups everyone else was getting. _No, I'm going to be a good mother,_ she reminded herself, sipping at the water and pretending it was every bit as satisfying. Willem and the rest of the Five had had a very good time, flirting with some of the girls there, but never daring to take it a step further. _Oh Willem, I hope he finds someone soon,_ she had thought, combing her fingers through Gabriel's hair as the band played on. Soon, she began drumming on his head, causing Gabriel to twirl her around to stop. Nathan and Adam seemed to be having a good time too, although they weren't half as rowdy as the Five. Every once in a while she thought she caught Nathan staring in her general direction, but then quickly dismissed the thought. _He couldn't. No way. Nathan doesn't think of me like that. I'm married, and pregnant!__I'm… just being paranoid, that's all._

The inn was bustling. Their absence hadn't slowed business down any. Several visitors greeted them before leaving, and one or two stopped for a small chat. Out of the corner of her eye, Vivian saw Katherine walking towards the lobby. _I should stop by her mom's room for a talk._

"Viv? Did you hear what they asked?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"How many months are you…?" asked the young woman with the rosy cheeks and blonde curls. Vivian fought back a grimace. She hadn't wanted this extra attention. _Moon goddess; am I just a baby carrier now?_ _Is that all I'm good for now?_

"Umm… three. I'm sorry; could you excuse me?"

"That's fine." Gabriel held her hand for a second and kissed the top of her head, then watched his pair bond make her way to the lobby, to sit by the half-child Katherine. He went back to making small talk with the couple in front of him, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Katherine looked up at Vivian with her pale green eyes, which she made a mental note of. _Nathan's are dark green, like an oak leaf, while hers are like a lime._ "Hey sweetie," she said, the terms of endearment and affection coming easier to her now than before. "How are you?"

"Good." She had a quiet voice, and didn't make a lot of eye contact. Vivian suddenly remembered holding Katherine outside Uncle Rudy's home in Maryland. The child had always been quiet, even when the growl of motorcycles came by.

"What are you reading, baby?"

She flipped the book over to the cover to show Vivian the title. _Three Little Wolves And The Big Bad Pig._ This was definitely a good book choice for a _loup-garou_ child, casting the pig as the bad guy and the little wolves as the protagonists. This was also read to her when she was little by her father. "You like this one Vivy?"

"Yes I do," she responded, picking up the child and resting her on her waist. Katherine smelled like apples and sunshine. "Where's your mama?" Katherine pointed to the backyard, laughing. A group had gathered around some of the tables to sit outside under the light of the moon and citronella candles. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as she felt the moon's light touching her skin. Vivian shook the feeling off, unsure of how many of the people outside were part of the pack.

Katherine's mother's eyes lit up as Vivian walked toward her. Katherine slid down and ran off to play with some kids. Later on in the night, she may join the children and their parents in her true form under the moon. "Good evening, Vivian."

"Good evening, Sandra."

"Do you have any more questions about… your baby?" Vivian grinned, remembering that she had been by a few times to ask some random questions while her mother was on her honeymoon.

"Not exactly. I… Could you come upstairs with me?" There were questions she didn't know if she could ask in front of the group gathered.

Sandra looked at the ceiling, as everyone who visited the room did, and then glanced at the back wall where the headboard of the bed rested. Vivian had done a beautiful job with the murals. It really did look like a sky and a forest, just as everyone else had said. "What are you curious about, my queen?" The words slipped out before she could catch them, and Vivian turned abruptly to look at her.

"Oh come on now, Sandra. Please. I'm _just_ Vivian." Sandra nodded and sat on a chair while her queen sat on the side of the bed, slipping her boots off. "I was just wondering about… Katherine." Images and thoughts flashed by in her head.

_Katherine was a target once. They wanted to get her. That loup-garou man with his tranquilizer gun full of poison. I almost died. I was force changed back. I lived. Jacob lives. Jacob could've been a half breed just as Katherine was, had things been different._

"I'm going to ask this in the nicest way I can think of… how was it possible?" _Don't date if you can't mate,_ shrilled her mother's voice in her head.

"I ask myself that every day of Katherine's life. She's almost five now."

Katherine entered suddenly, as if on cue, and was in the process of shaking her fur back in. She climbed on to the bed, and sat beside Vivian. Now she smelled of lemony citronella and grass. She was a very quiet child, and was just happy to sit with her head resting on the bed watching her mother sit. "I met her father when I was young and naïve. We were in love. But he left, and I learned I was pregnant. Then…" she glanced at Katherine once, then back at Vivian. "I don't remember much of the rest actually."

"Mama says I was born lucky."

"You certainly were," said the queen bitch, stroking the child behind her ear. "Sandra… do you remember, _that_ man?" _The man who tried to force change, and even kill Katherine?_ She thought The way Vivian said it, Sandra was entirely certain she wasn't talking about the father, but rather the attacker that had come to the inn almost a year ago. Sandra nodded. "I'm curious if you're worried about their return someday…" She didn't finish the thought. Sandra nodded. They sat in silence, wondering what the future had in store for them.

"I worry about it sometimes. It's _very_ possible there could be more people like him… But..."

"I know. Both of you are safe here." She nodded and got up suddenly, deciding she wasn't going to press matters further. Sandra and Katherine took that as their cue to kiss Vivian on the cheeks and leave. _Whatever problem comes, I can face it. We can face it. This pack is stronger than all of the others. And our strength lies in our diversity. _

The queen bitch retired to the bathroom to take a bubble bath, seeing as how showers were strictly off limits, in case she should fall. Some several minutes later, she stepped out of the bath, and walked back to her room. Gabriel was seated on the sofa chair, looking out at nothing. She sat with him, and he growled happily. By now she knew he liked her best when she had her own scent, but he also liked it when her scent mingled with that of soap and lotion. _Now now wolf-man, you promised to behave,_ she thought, grinning at him and getting up so he could take a shower. When he came back from the shower, dressed in pajama pants, looking like a demigod, it seemed as if he had forgotten his promise. Gabriel sauntered towards her and changed so he was his _loup-garou_ self. Vivian held his beautiful face in her hands and smiled.

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There was a loud series of knocks on the door, and the beepers on both of their walky-talkies went off. Vivian and Gabriel shot up from where they had been laying, intertwined in peaceful slumber, and looked around them. _Has it really only been a week since we went to the concert, or just a night? No… its been a week. _Gabriel grabbed a shirt from the floor, and Vivian picked up her robe from the end of the bed. Her pendant swung against its chain and bounced against her skin. Wordlessly they agreed she would get the handheld radios and he would get the door.

"Hello?"

"What is it?"

Gabriel was startled to see Uncle Rudy at the doorframe, a blank expression on his painted face. Vivian heard her mother's voice. "Don't say anything. Not a word Vivian. Gabriel is going to leave and you're going to meet me outside in the backyard. Bring a jacket." The static signaled the end of her strange message.

Vivian looked at her pair bond with anxious eyes, but he was just as confused as she was. The pack wouldn't do anything to their king and queen. And there didn't seem to be any urgency or danger present. Gabriel turned and walked toward her, gave her a quick peck on the lips, still crushing them with his force, and left the room. Vivian slid on some jeans and threw Gabriel's thick jacket on over her nightgown. The clock on the nightstand on Gabriel's side read "3:05 AM." _Moon goddess, what is my pack up to?_

The late November air was cold and dry as she stepped outside, thankful for the jacket. Women from the pack in various stages of life were gathered outside; wearing what seemed to be jackets and wreaths of flowers in their hair. Willemina was sadly not in attendance. A realization dawned upon her as surely as her hair stood under the light of the leaving moon. _This is my baby shower._

No one spoke but her mother stepped forward and took Vivian's hand. She had never been to an official _loup-garou_ female's baby shower, mostly due to the fact that a lot of traditions had been abandoned back in Maryland. They walked, with only little white puffs of smoke issuing from their mouths, towards the reserve. Then they made a tight circle around the wide eyed Vivian, and offered her too big garlands of flowers. She gladly wore the wreaths and felt them pile on heavy against her chest. Farther towards the forest, away from prying human eyes, the pack changed. Running even farther into the forest, they were allowed sweet surrendering howls at the moon. Still her eyes were wide.

A couple of miles away, the males in the pack had led Gabriel up to the mountains. He almost laughed as he saw their lush greenness reach high up to what seemed like endless sky. They had wrongly typed out "mountain climbing" on the brochures as one possible tourist attraction once. Now, living here for such a long time, he knew better. The trees that hid them from the rest of the world also made mountain climbing nearly impossible. Still though, the steady stream of avid mountain hikers more than made up for that error in judgment. And _loup-garou_ could climb up nearly anything, which is what they were presently doing. Burying his claws into the dirt, he followed the Five as they made their way ever upwards. He could the thick musk of fresh blood before they were even half way up. The blue pools of his eyes flashed with a desire for blood and he ran faster, quickly passing the Five.

Right in the middle of the forest, in a newly made clearing, the females ran circles around Vivian. She wondered when they had the time to practice this ceremony. Pretty soon, the dancing and circles became frantic and Vivian had to lie sprawled down on the floor, covering her eyes with her paws. Suddenly they stopped, and lay on their backs offering her their bellies, as a sign of submission. Vivian winced and wished they could all stand up again. Then a single blonde and gold _loup-garou_ rolled over and howled, her high soprano voice climbing to ridiculous heights. The females all rolled over, and sat on their haunches, growling softly, as Gabriel did whenever he was near his wife. The forest was trembling with the soft current of growls as Vivian's mother made her way to Vivian. _Moon goddess, thank you for this pack, _she thought, still wondering what lay ahead in the ceremony.

Blood ran rich and free across the rocky ground and their mouths. Gabriel paused, licking his lips, wishing Vivian were here so he could give her a large portion of his share. "I want to lay my kill at your feet," he had said. And he had acted on that promise ten times over, being her provider both as her husband, a man, and a _loup-garou_. There was enough meat up here to feed the entire pack for a week, and most of it was still alive. Deer and other wild animals were tied together, shaking from their nerves. But eating them tied like that would have been immoral. After all of the fresh meat had been eaten, Uncle Rudy made his way over to the wild animals, causing them to scream in fright and frustration, and swiped at the rope that held them all together. The quickest animals made a fast dash to hide, while the slower ones fought to keep up. Gabriel howled. The hunt was on.

After several more rounds of dancing for Vivian, the females panted with exhaustion, but kept right on dancing. She wanted them to stop, to take a rest with her, but they kept their manic fervor going. The moon danced too. It waltzed slowly down the sky, disappearing into the blanket of trees in the distance. As sunrise came up, the females had all taken turns showing Vivian their prowess and reverence. Then Aunt Persia stomped her paws in a one-two rhythm, like a steady heartbeat, which the rest of the women followed. The heartbeat grew faster and more irregular, as did Vivian's, until it seemed as if surely someone would pass out. Then, without so much as a notice, hundreds of wild animals ran towards them. _Moon goddess, come back! _ The animals had apparently decided to lose their minds, as a group, and run towards danger. Her mouth watered and her eyes glinted menacingly. _This is too easy._ Were the animals crazy? Diseased? Should she hunt?

Her fears dissolved into the cold air as a black creature, with beads of sweat shining like tiny dots of stars on the ends of his fur, his blue eyes as dangerous and beautiful as a sapphire, ran towards her. She realized what she had been missing the entire ceremony. _My mate. My love._ The males corralled the animals into a huge circle, as easy pickings for the females. Vivian knew he would find the best animal and take it down, then offer it to her, but she was restless with the energy of the heartbeat drumming in her ears. Vivian looked around at the rest of the females, who seemed to be waiting to see what she would do. Vivian's voice climbed up to the sky, sending everyone's hairs on end. She had one of the best voices in the pack. Then _loup-garoux_ males and females went for the hunt, bringing down as many animals as they could catch.

Vivian spotted a handsome buck trying to make a dash for the cover of trees. She sprinted towards it, glad for the excuse to finally exercise. Jacob needed to feel this energy. From the corner of her eye, she saw vivid forest green eyes and sapphire ones, racing to reach the same buck. _No way, this one's mine._ She leaped, almost flew, right onto the buck, bringing it down and sinking her teeth into its neck. Her claws made quick work of the carcass, cutting it down into manageable pieces to eat. She grabbed the chunk of tender neck meat in her powerful jaws, her pendant dipping into the blood. Gabriel bowed his front legs, and Nathan took that as his cue to leave his leaders alone. She placed the meat down at his sinewy paws and looked up into his eyes. A different love took over when they were _loup-garou_. His eyes weren't soft, they were blazing. He maintained eye contact as he finished the cut of meat she had given him, and then licked her jaws clean. Vivian heard a satisfying growl in her ears, and then a human voice. "I love you."

Back at the inn, no one was awake, and as Gabriel carried his exhausted wife back upstairs to their room, the door to Jacob's nursery next door was open, revealing a myriad of pastel wrapped boxes. Meat was for _loup-garou_ offerings, but as humans they needed actual material items for their child. The range in box sizes made him sure they wouldn't need anything for Jacob. Vivian stirred in his arms, and the pendant hit his chest gently. The moon pendant was tinged pink with blood. Gabriel growled, smiling.

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The baby shower was still on everyone's mind some days later, when whispers followed the innkeepers wherever they went. Vivian walked down the stairs, wiping away at her brow with her paint stained hands. Jacob's nursery was done. Gabriel and she had worked well into the day to finish it.

"Viv, you have some guests waiting for you in the lobby."

"Tell them I'll meet them in the dining hall, Will."

"No. You don't want to keep these ones waiting. Trust me." She raised one brow but headed over to the lobby. Once there, she was almost knocked to the ground by three females. _Oh, moon goddess. Please let me not have forgotten their names. I will never hear the end of it…_

"Vivian!!!" they said in eerie unison.

"Oh my babies! How you've grown!" the blue eyes teased and taunted her. Like her husband, she could tell they liked giving out little tests to the people they knew. Vivian racked her memory for the little reminders in their differences.

_The oldest triplet has a freckle on her right cheek._ "Maria!" Maria's smile was reassuring as she let herself get a kiss on the cheek by her queen.

_The middle child is the biggest tomboy._ "Mercedes." Mercedes laughed and gave Vivian's shoulders a squeeze. "Oh and last but certainly not least…" She paused. The youngest triplet's face was strangely calm. _The trouble maker. _"How could I _ever_ forget Monica?" A secret exhale escaped the woman's lips as the last of the triplets gave Vivian a hug.

Gabriel's sisters had finally come back from boarding school for Christmas break. Vivian wasn't expecting them for a few more days. _Oh wolf man. What a time to go to the store,_ she thought, getting crushed by the young girls' arms. Perhaps he had known his sister's would be coming. Perhaps he had set this up.

The thirteen year olds tried taking turns in talking to their queen, but could not. Vivian tried as much as possible to answer all of their questions, no matter how embarrassing they may have been. They hadn't changed much in their time away. She made mental notes of the differences in their appearances for future reference. _The oldest has curly black hair and the freckle. The middle's eyes are a lighter blue. And the youngest has dimples._ They all got the striking looks of their brother.

"So Viv, how's my brother been? Not _too_ bad I hope."

"No Monica. He's been just fine." She avoided a potentially sticky situation. _No one needs to know about the wolf man and his bunny._ The girls giggled and continued harassing their sister in law. Then a flash of blonde hair by the counter distracted her. "Who's that?" she said aloud accidentally.

"That is our b-f-f-e and chaperone, Emily." Emily looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, and a very good flirt. _Willem_ was blushing in the face for once. Vivian grinned, thanking the moon goddess for answering her prayer.

"Your pendant. That's the one bro gave you, right? Why's it _pink_?" Vivian flushed red.

"Uh… good question Mercedes. Actually it's because…" _Great. Now they're going to think I'm a complete pig when I eat._

"Quit bullying Viv if you know what's good for you." A deep rumbled caused shrieks among all the girls, and then it was momentarily stifled. Gabriel had come back from shopping in the nick of time. They pounced on him, and Vivian was afraid the human guests would notice their fangs, or the odd brightness in their eyes.

"Ulf! Take these bags down to the kitchen. Tell them to get the caterers on the phone. We got a lot of people today. Gregory! You and Finn go get these girls up to their rooms. No funny business." The boys grinned and carried bags. "As for me and you," he said, snaking his arm around his wife's waist and pressing a hand to her belly for a second before giving her a kiss, "we have a dinner to host."

The sign in front of the main dining hall read, "Private party. Closed for the night." But inside was a whole different affair. There were balloons and a whole group of people, taking turns at the buffet which served an odd amount of meat from the innkeeper's private stock. The caterers were specially hired for the night. They weren't human. A broad shouldered man in a blue button down shirt and jeans stood up, champagne glass in hand. "To the pack! We've waited a long time for the happiness we have among us today. We're gathered here, all together, as one giant extended family," girls giggled as his eyes scanned the room, placing faces to names, "and as my wife would say, bless you moon goddess. Let's hope for the best in the days to come." His blue eyes met gold ones as he called the toast.

As they danced, Vivian again caught a flash of blonde hair, which made her nerves stand on end. She excused herself from Uncle Rudy's arms and strode over to Willem, resisting the urge to grab him by the lapels. "What are you doing?"

"No Vivy. It's cool. She's…" Emily's eyes lit up from within. "I'm very lucky." Her heart stopped stammering, and she calmed down instantly. Willem couldn't hide the happiness meeting Emily brought him. He hadn't been interested in any of the girls around the inn.

"Oh, Emily. I'm sorry. You can never be too careful."

"You are too right," said the blonde, watching her charges flirt with some _loup-garoux_ boys.

Muscled arms locked themselves around her waist and made her sway. The burning heat of his skin was welcome and familiar. "Have you seen Nathan and Adam? They took off after dinner."

"No. I hope they don't miss the run tonight. It's a full moon." He turned her in his arms and she pressed her head against her spot on his chest, between his neck and shoulder. Her heart beat in time to the ever present purring in his chest.

"Viv?"

"Yeah?"

"Yo tengo tanta suerte." Her insides just about melted when he spoke Spanish to her. In the years they'd known each other, he rarely spoke it unless he was _absolutely_ blissful, but he had made it a point to teach her. _I have so much luck_, he had said. She tried to remember the right words to say.

"Te amo." The way his eyes and his lips reacted, she knew she'd gotten it right.

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Adam coughed and his hands shook as he gripped the transparent orange tube. Aunt Persia had given him some special pills. Mostly vitamins, minerals, but also a couple of special things human pharmacists wouldn't think to use. Since his sickness had left him, he was fine during the day. But during the day he had other things to occupy his mind. During the night was the worst. The moonlight teased him, cursed him, and begged him to find the wendigo spirit to possess him again. But like a cancer patient, or recovering addict, the very thing that would give him his strength back could also kill him.

"Nate? Is that you?" Footsteps were heard walking towards their room. No, not walking, stumbling. Nathan could never hold his liquor. Adam choked the pills back and stood up, ready to offer his brother a shoulder.

Nathan managed to stumbled into the room, but then sprawled himself across the bed. The bottle in his hand was empty. "What's up little bro? Took your meds?"

"Yes."

"How you feeling?"

"Just fine. You're not going to the run?"

"Nah. Are you?"

"No. I can't. It's a full moon tonight."

"Ah, _sweet _temptation. How _do _you do it Adam? How are you _so_ strong?" Adam held his jaw firm and braced himself. His brother was two different people when he was drunk; either hopelessly angry and destructive, or hopelessly bitter and abrasive. The latter had come to visit Adam tonight. "You could do it. I know you could. You know you could. Just a little, right?"

"I could... But I won't. It's not worth it."

"Fuck! I'm so tired of hearing that!" He threw the bottle down onto the floor, where it landed with a silent thud against the carpet. Adam tried to calm his brother down, tried to lead his mind down some other road.

"There were a lot of really nice looking girls at the dinner, Nate. Did you see them? That red head was totally checking you out."

"Yeah, so? Come on Adam. Don't pretend like you're a retard. You and I both know who I want. But I can't have her. She's married. But I'm not giving up." He sat upright, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "One day Adam. You'll get to go outside during a full moon. You'll get to feel that power again. And I-"

"That's not what I want. That's not what you want either."

"Shut up. You don't know what I want. No one does. No one can." Adam shook his head and left the room, locking the door. In a couple of minutes, the alcohol would fully seep into his brother's bloodstream, rendering him unconscious at least until morning. And by morning, he would be back to sane Nathan. Smart Nathan. Good Nathan, apologizing for the things he had said. At least… Adam hoped so.

_AN: And that's all I have so far. I hope you liked it. And I sincerely hope it was worth the wait. I'm sorry for having kept you all so long. I promise the next chapter will be a hundred times more prompt. In fact, here's another sneak peek (because I am oh so fond of those…) _

"Viv?"

Her eyes were drowning in tears, and her hands clenched in fists trembled at her sides. "Fuck you." His cell phone was on the floor, the screen still lit.

_AN: Did you like it? Did you like this chapter? PLEASE REVIEW! _


	14. Chapter 14

_AN: Thanks to Annette Curtis Klause for the setting and most of the characters. And, as far as my rant goes, thank you all for replying to it, but I did **not** watch the movie. And I will not watch the movie any time soon. Maybe when I can rent it, I will. I just find it disturbing that an author can have so little control over their own vision. I can't imagine watching my stories being so messed up like that. As always, please read and review with lots of feedback. I will answer all questions regarding my story. And, if you've liked my fanfic so far, tell your friends! So, without further ado…_

**Chapter 11 (Part One)**

When she was three months pregnant in November, she was happy to see her features change. Now, at five months, Vivian had grown tired of having a weight upon her. _Two more months to go. Just two more months. I can do this,_ she thought, easing onto a lounge chair outside. Not that she didn't love the fact that her expected date was nearing. _Loup-garou_ pregnancies were shorter than the average human's, due to their rapid healing process and other abnormal bodily functions. In human terms, she would be six or seven months pregnant already.

_Self-assessment time. How do I feel? Fat. My ankles may be swollen. I want a steak dipped in ice-cream. And, oh yeah… I'm also more of a bitch, apparently. _"That's me. Queen Bitch," she said, taking a sip from the bottle of water. Ulf looked up from where he was seated, raised an eyebrow, and snorted. "Shut up Ulf."

"I never said anything, my queen." Vivian hurled the bottle at him, but also laughed.

"What's going on?" Vivian didn't turn around as Gabriel walked towards them. The tepid January air was a welcome change from all of the winter recently, not that he didn't love his snow-bunny just the same year round. The alpha-male watched Ulf pick up a plastic bottle from the floor, and knew what had happened. "What did you say this time?"

"Nothing! I swear! She called herself the Queen Bitch, and I had to agree." Gabriel suppressed a very strong desire to laugh. The effort caused him to have to look away and pretend to cough.

"It's not funny, Gabe."

"I know babe." Ulf nearly died. Gabe and babe, together forever, right? It was sickening. "Alright Ulf, you're free to go." Ulf got up from his lawn chair and left the two outside in the backyard, alone.

"I just wanted some fresh air, and somewhere to throw away my water bottle. I _hate_ the taste of water. I hope you know that." Now Gabriel was free to laugh, and watch his mate grow increasingly redder faced. She was prone to mood swings and irritability recently, but he could deal with it. He merely picked her up, ignoring her various protests, and sat down on the lawn chair, with her in his arms.

"Why are you doing this to me? I feel fat, you know. I'm probably crushing you right now. I am crushing you, aren't I? Let go."

"Nope. You could never crush me. And I like you this way. … Or any other way, for that matter." _Good answer, wolf-man,_ she thought, smiling. "As for the water business... I'm sorry. I can get you some flavored water, but you need to be well hydrated."

"Gabe, I'm having a baby. Not a fish. And-" her sudden short gasp for air was a signal. He put his hands on her belly as fast as he could. There. He could feel his child, their child, the second best thing that had happened in his life, moving. Jacob was a bad boy. Just like his father. And no matter how miserable Vivian was feeling, having Jacob kicking and moving around inside her, already bursting with life, was enough to make her peaceful and happy.

"Hey baby," he said softly. Vivian imagined the rumble of his voice was as familiar to their baby as it was to her. And she heard him humming some silly little tune, until her eyes closed and she fell asleep. He was happy then, lying with his wife and their child in his arms, watching the sun go down behind the curtain of forest trees.

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Adam wrung his hands while looking around the inn for his big brother. He walked to the living room to check. Even before he entered, he could smell the scents of those in the room. Vivian's scent was the strongest, because of her nearing pregnancy. It was pleasant, like flowers, but also warm, like fresh cookies. _I don't blame Nate for obsessing. That scent is maddening._ He shook his head and walked in. "Hey have any of you guys seen Nate?"

"Nope."

"Sorry man, I have no idea."

"Nah."

"Haven't seen him." The rest of the Five were unreliable, as usual.

"Did you check outside? He might be going for a run." He nodded at Gabriel's direction, as a sign of gratitude, and left the _loup-garoux_ to watch their gory horror flicks and laugh.

Adam crossed the floor to the lobby, blushing as the triplets called him to come over and join their group on the couches.

"Hey Adam! Over here! Yoo-hoo!" A sigh of relief swept over him when he caught them wearing name tags. Apparently he wasn't the only one who couldn't tell them apart yet. _Maria, Mercedes, and Monica,_ he noted. "We were wondering if you wanted to hang out with us today."

"Uh, I can't. Not today. I'm looking for my brother. Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, I saw him outside just a few minutes ago. In the backyard." He looked at the one named Monica, wondering if she was telling the truth or not.

"Oh shut up, Moni. He was checking the mail in the front yard. And that's the truth." Mercedes seemed to be the most trustworthy of the bunch. Maria was just a giggling mess.

Nathan suddenly stormed in through the front door. "Where's Gabriel?"

"Why?" The all piped in at once.

"He's in the living room with the rest of the pack."

"I need to talk to him. Adam, tell Gabriel to meet me in my room. Sorry ladies, this is a private matter."

"Fine." The girls were actually silent and cooperative as Adam left the group. Vivian seemed to have been awoken as he walked in, and Gabriel clenched his jaw. "I haven't seen your brother Adam. And next time, walk in a little less like the world's going to end."

"Uh, sorry. Nathan wants to talk to you. He said to meet you in his room."

"Why?"

"I dunno. But I think you _should_ know." A strange look came over Gabriel's eyes. He _did_ know what was going on. Vivian didn't. As he left them, Adam watched his queen get up and walk to the stairs, probably to her room.

_Oh moon goddess. Please let me have gotten this wrong. He's not keeping anything from me. We have no secrets. Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all._ Finally she found the thing she was rummaging for in a daze. Her mind went blank as she flipped open his cell phone.

The screen lit up and she pressed a few buttons to get to his text messages. He had been using that feature a lot more often recently, but she hadn't thought much of it until just then. Vivian's face felt hot as she looked through the most recent texts. Most of them were just business. Shipping orders. Grocery lists. And scattered in the list were a few random texts from his sisters. Then she read the name of the sender she was looking for.

Sender: Nathan. Subject: blank 

Sender: Nathan. Subject: blank 

Sender: Nathan. Subject: blank 

Sender: Nathan. Subject: Leave at seven.

Sender: Nathan. Subject: blank 

There was something going on. Something she wasn't being informed about. Vivian growled as she opened the most recent message. It read, "When are you going? The pack needs you to be there soon. I shall join you as soon as I can." _Going? Going where?!_ Her eyes became blurry with tears as a story unfolded before her own eyes.

Nathan had been keeping in touch with the pack he had come from. They were receiving strange threats. Nathan had wanted to leave sooner, but something had delayed him. Someone from the other pack was killed. Nathan had to leave soon. Then she read one from Gabriel to Nathan. "Don't worry. I promised to take care of this pack, and I will. I'll leave at seven, as promised."

The screen blurred in her palm. She didn't hear him come in, because in a fit of rage she had knocked the contents of her vanity mirror to the floor. "Viv?"

Her eyes were drowning in tears, and her hands clenched in fists trembled at her sides. "Fuck you." His cell phone was on the floor, the screen still lit. Gabriel had the common sense to close the door behind him.

"I can explain."

"Then start." Vivian picked up the cell phone from the floor and held it close to his face. Her hands were trembling. "Why the hell wouldn't you tell me about this?"

"Viv, please. There's no need to get mad." He grabbed her hands and gently pried the cell phone away, still holding on to her slender wrist.

"Oh, there isn't? Well good! I'm _so_ glad. And here I thought you were about to leave. Oh wait, you are." She snatched her arm away. Her voice was raspy as she fought back the tears that already were streaming down her face.

"Vivian, please let me explain-"

"No! I don't care! It's not right. You can't leave _me_."

"I'm not-"

"The fuck you're not!" She raised her hand, but put it down at her side. There was no use getting physical. Her pregnancy was wearing her down already, and she wouldn't have had much of a fight left in her. "I read them Gabriel. You're leaving! You're off to be the _hero_. Well fuck you then!"

"I have to." He wasn't yelling back at her like usual when they fought. He was quiet. That made her nerves stand on edge, and her anger to swell up inside her.

"You have to what? Go? Leave me? Potentially get killed? Yeah, you probably do." Vivian paced around the room, trying to slow down her furious heartbeat. "Fuck!" She took a few steps back and sat down on the single seated couch, putting her face in her hands to catch a breath.

"I promised."

Her eyes were blazing as she looked up from behind her hands. "You promised _me_ first, Gabriel. And I don't _care_ if I sound like a selfish brat. It's not right Gabriel. You can't _leave_ again! Not this time." She watched his broad shoulders fall slightly as he kneeled down in front of her. "Don't. Don't you touch me."

"Vivian! I'm sorry. I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you."

"You already have." Golden eyes searched blue ones for answers, for feelings, for remorse or resolve. But the blue eyes were calm, almost lucid even.

"I'm not going to fight you on this one, Viv. And I'm not going to yell. And I'm not going to discuss this. I _have_ to leave. I just have to." She reached her arms out, and held his face in her hands. "Why? Why now?"

"I don't know. But I won't rest until I am sure I can keep safe as many people as I can. And right now a lot of things are going on that aren't making my job any easier. That's why I have to leave." Gabriel got up, placed his hands on her waist, and in one fluid movement had her in his arms. Again she felt thirty pounds lighter. He sat her down with him on the giant couch, feeling her heartbeat slow down.

"Why can't I have you all to myself?"

"You do."

"Liar." They didn't make eye contact, but just looked across the room at the view of the reserve from their windows.

"Viv, you have to know I do everything for you and for Jacob. You two are more important to me than _anything_. I have a duty, yes. But before my duty to my people, I have my family. I have you. Por siempre." _Forever._

"Gabe, you _have_ to tell me these things. I can handle it."

"I know you can. But you probably would have found a way to talk me out of it, or get someone else to go. This is just something I must make sure for myself. For our pack's sake."

"I understand."

"Good."

"Gabe?" He finally looked at her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I really did hate you for a minute there."

"I know. That was the most angry I've ever seen you get."

"I'm sorry. I'm so selfish."

"Good." He kissed her, and all of her fears melted away.

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Outside the door, the softest sound was uttered. A curse word. The voice went downstairs and to his room. Everyone had gone off to bed. Just one spirit would still be up at this time of the morning.

"Nate, what's the matter?"

"Them! They're fucking unbelievable!"

"What?"

"He's leaving her, _pregnant _and all, and now they're fine with it."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Wrong! Shit! She was supposed to hate him."

"She can't. She's his wife." Adam's eyes were wide. His brother could be irrational at times, but this time he seemed honestly insane.

"I know! Fuck!" Nathan threw himself onto the bed, shoving the pillow onto his face. "Whatever. A minor setback."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh cut the crap, Adam! You know! What do you and I have in common? And don't say we're siblings, because I will deck you." Adam's jaw set and his face became grim as he sat down on the chair across from the bed.

"You and I… have problems."

"Yeah, big problems. Vices. Addictions. But we can't have them, right?"

"Right. Because it's wrong. Because we're stronger than our vices and addictions. Because if we ever get what we want, we'll be worse off than before."

"Wrong! Shit, do you ever get tired of all of that saintly crap?" Adam shook his head. "No worries little brother. There's still hope for you yet. So, I've gotten Gabriel out of the house for a while. A wild goose chase, if you will. And then-"

"You're ridiculous."

"No. Brilliant."

"Whatever. I'm done with this." Adam got up and left the room as quickly as possible. The full moon was slowly disappearing from behind the trees. Nathan was less sane during this time of the month. And lately his desire had grown stronger. Adam was afraid, but just hoped his brother's plans would fail, as they always did. He borrowed Vivian's phrase, for strength. _Oh moon goddess, let everything turn out fine in the end._

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Vivian was withdrawn the next day as she clung on to her husband, smelling his rich, strong scent. Manly, and soapy, and musky and clean all at once. "I'm not going to cry. But you'd better be back soon. And call me when you can."

"Promise." Willem wasn't sure what all of the drama was about. Gabriel had left before. He dismissed her tears as being caused by her pregnancy, and held onto Emily's hand tighter. His new girlfriend made him happy.

Gabriel kissed her softly, then passionately, as if wanting to capture her essence. A second later he let go, and got on the bike. "I will be back, sooner than you think. I promise." She nodded and watched him leave. Jacob kicked and she held on as the rest of the pack walked back towards the inn. All except Aunt Persia. "Something's bothering you, girlie."

"Oh, its nothing."

"I may not be your mother, but I am not blind either. Come here." The old woman walked over to the swinging chair hanging in front of the inn and sat down. "And whatever is bothering you, I just know everything will be fine in the end. It always is. But for a positive outcome, one has to be prepared."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You have to prepare yourself for anything girlie."

"I am. I've been reading books, and-"

"Not that. Your pregnancy is perfect. But there are dark clouds looming on the horizon, and we must be prepared."

"What do you know, Aunt Persia? Have you seen something?" Her tone was hushed and anxious.

"I don't know anything yet. But I've been thinking about this for a very long time. You have the gift, girlie. Ever since I showed you how to foresee, I've known."

"But I haven't foreseen anything in a very long time."

"Your inner eye closes into itself when you are with child. A lot of energy is used up. It's only natural. But I've come today to ask you a question." Vivian looked around, wondering why the woman's voice was so hushed. "The spirits have made my decision clear."

"What decision?"

"If you choose to accept it, I want you to be my successor. I want you to be the next healer." Vivian gasped, and Jacob kicked in the same instance.

"Really? Me?"

"The spirits have chosen you. It's up to you to answer their call."

"I… I will. Of course I will." _Oh moon goddess, what are you doing to me?  
_

"You cannot tell anyone else in the pack until the time is right. Not even Gabriel. There are certain laws we have to follow in this process. A healer is chosen once in many generations." Vivian nodded. In all of her years she had only known Aunt Persia as the only healer in her pack.

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Inside the house, the rest of the pack gathered around the dinner tables for breakfast. Vivian's mother and Tomas had returned to spend a few days with the pack, and to annoy Gabriel's sisters. All of whom where hanging out with the rest of the Five and Adam in the living room, watching TV. Nathan was in his room, brooding or something, as usual. Just then, Emily walked in.

"Give me the remote." She snatched it from the arm rest and pressed 31. Channel WWNE came on, with the day's breaking news. The brunette on the screen was reporting on the latest story. "And we have just received word that a village on the skirts of the Green Mountain National Forest was attacked by a grizzly bear. Two men were killed, and one was severely injured. No word yet on the condition of the man, and park rangers are already hard at work tracking the dangerous beast." The screen blared green with a map of the reserve.

"That's where Gabriel's going to."

"Oh moon goddess!"  
"Maria, please!"  
"Both of you shut up!"

"That wasn't a grizzly attack, was it?" Vivian's blood ran cold as Nathan walked in, and caught his breath. He hadn't planned for a real danger to be at the pack he had just sent Gabriel to. Adam's eyes met his, and they were wide and afraid. _Oh Nate, what have you done?_ Her nerves were on edge again, but she had to be brave. For her pack. For Gabriel. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. The first time, she had thought _she_ was the grizzly bear, devouring innocent humans.

"That's enough. Gabriel can handle himself. But I want to send some of our strongest out there. He may need the help."

"I'll go," Nathan said, almost too suddenly. Vivian nodded and braced herself as she got up from the couch. There was a lot of work to do.

_AN: I'm sorry if I made you all wait too long. Life's been hectic. But I hope you liked this chapter, and are excited about the next one. As always, please review!_


	15. Chapter 15

_AN: Thank you once again for the reviews, and your continued patience. I'm on spring break right now, so I'm taking the break as an opportunity to update. Also, I am still not going to watch the movie, because I have heard enough negative comments about it. And once again, most of the characters and setting belong to Annette Curtis Klause. That being said… here comes…_

**Chapter 11 (Part Two)**

The sun set before the pack was finished getting ready. With Vivian as their leader, most of the males were deep in the woods out back, ready to travel up north. For some reason, Nathan was very certain of Gabriel's location. So he offered to be the pack guide. "Adam, take this." She handed him a walky-talky. "I would give it to Nathan but..."

"I know. You don't really trust him." His face was strangely blank and detached.

"It's not that. I know he doesn't care for Gabriel much. Please. I need you to make sure Gabriel gets back home safe. Do that for me."

"The both of you saved me. I'd do anything for you, my queen." She nodded and stepped back, holding onto Maria's hand. Willem separated from his new love, Emily. The blonde was holding back tears for his sake. It was as if she though that by not crying, or showing weakness, she could give him some strength. Vivian was glad for Emily. Willem deserved to have someone like her in his life.

"Take care of yourselves. We expect all of you to come back safe." On Vivian's lead, the pack howled at the moon. _Please moon goddess, protect them, and give them strength._

"Vivian."

"Yes Aunt Persia?"

"Come with me child, its time you'd begun." Vivian nodded and walked with the old woman to her hut in the woods, leaving her mother and Emily in charge.

Meanwhile, back at the edge of the reserve, Gabriel was busy surveying the wreckage left by the rogue pack. He was glad Nathan had given him the head's up. As he dug amongst the broken pieces of wall and debris, his blood boiled and he fought to suppress an angry howl. _They had no right, _he thought. _And it's because of packs like these that my people will have to continue to hide who they are from the rest of the world. _As he threw pieces of brick into a pile, he vowed justice.

Gabriel had taken a jacket from one of the EMS guys, as well as a flashlight. He would help look for survivors. It was the very least he could do.

The males were inching closer to Gabriel's location, but had to take a break to rest and prepare for what they knew was going to be a fight. If there was a rogue pack, they had to be ready to take them on. Willem watched as Adam and Nathan left the campfire and walked away. He was about to call out to them when the rest of the Five interrupted his thoughts. "Hey man, come here before all of the grub's gone."

"Yeah, coming."

"What the hell's the matter with you?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Do you honestly not care what you've gotten us into?"

"Me?! I didn't do anything."

"Cut the crap. I know you wanted to get Gabriel up north, to our old pack so you could fight him or whatever."

"Yeah, so?"

"So! Why did we leave, Nathan?!" Nathan didn't say anything; he just sat down on a log that had been tumbled over by a storm a few months ago. "We left because the wendigo spirit's still up there! The moon goddess only _knows_ how many members from our old pack have been affected."

"Shut up, Adam. You're talking like Vivian, with all of that moon goddess shit."

"No, you shut up! You make me sick, Nate. You think you're stronger than all of this, stronger than him. But you're not. At least I believe in something higher than myself. At least I'm not delusional." Adam got up suddenly; ready to join the rest of the pack. Nathan watched his brother leave him, angry that his little brother was so ready to accept anyone who came towards him with open arms. But at the same time, he was worried that his brother was right. It was hard to fight a wendigo possessed _loup-garou,_ much less kill one. _What have I done?_ He got up from the log and kept trekking north. Maybe if he got there before the pack did, he could make amends for some of his mistakes, and at the same time, hoping he got to finish Gabriel, before anything else did.

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"Vivian, focus." The cuckoo clock chimed out the time. It was 10pm.

"I'm sorry." She held on to her belly, willing Jacob to be still. The child was getting more anxious recently. Aunt Persia brought the earthenware bowl with the silvery liquid back onto the table, and told Vivian to take a few more deep breaths.

"What do you see?"

Her eyes felt as if they were being weighed down as she stared at her own reflection. Just then, it was as if she had fallen asleep with her eyes wide open. Vivian looked around and saw a forest, covered in rubble. She was wearing a white dress and her moon pendant. Jacob was holding onto her hand. He was a year old. The child with her golden eyes and his jet black hair looked peaceful as he surveyed the wreckage. He pointed towards a tree. Vivian walked towards it, picking up Jacob and resting him on her hip. When she took a step the vision shifted like ripples in water. Gradually she made her way over to the tree. Gabriel was sitting there, looking serene. "Are you alright?" He nodded. A weight was lifted off her shoulders, and Vivian wondered if she would start floating in her water-like vision. Then she noticed he had a package in his hands. "What is that, Gabe?" He looked at her like he wanted to say something, but couldn't bring himself to. Just then, a voice disturbed her.

"You've been in long enough Vivian, its time to go." She nodded and closed her eyes. When she looked up, it was into the old woman's familiar face. "You can't stay in the visions too long, or else be consumed by them."

"What?"

"What did the vision world feel like, Vivian?"

"It felt like… swimming underwater."

"That's right. And if you stay in too long, you won't be swimming anymore. You'll be drowning."

"I understand." Vivian placed one hand on her belly and the other around her moon pendant.

"What did you see?"

"Jacob was my guide. Gabriel was alright. He had a package in his hands."

"Jacob? Ah, that child has incredible spiritual strength."

"How?"

"He came to you once before in a vision, didn't he? He introduced himself. And now he's your guide. Gabriel was in your vision. Could he talk?" Vivian shook her head. "Not many of us can. Your child is very strong already." Vivian smiled, and took some small comfort in that thought. "Now, about that package… we still have a lot to do…"

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"Where is Nathan?"  
"Has anyone seen Nathan?"  
"Nathan!"  
"We don't have time for this."

"Enough! Everyone follow me. I know where to go." Several pairs of eyes focused on Adam. He was normally so passive. "We're very close. From here on out, everyone stay as a _loup-garou_, but be careful you're not seen. There are humans around here." The pairs of eyes nodded and grew inhumanly wide, developing their colors and brightness as if backlit by the moon itself.

_I hear something,_ he thought, carefully climbing around a few torn branches. Whatever pack was here had left recently, but Gabriel couldn't help feeling like he was being watched. The rest of the EMS had rounded up the rest of the victims and had left, but Gabriel had stayed back to deal with the cause of the problem. Police and Park Rangers might show up, and he had to make sure they wouldn't find any _loup-garoux_.

"Gabriel." He spun around, his face and claws feral. "Calm down, it's just me."

"Nathan? What are you doing here?"

"Where is everyone?"

"There's no one here. At least, no one that I can see."

"Good."

"Why-" Gabriel didn't have time to finish that thought, as a giant mass of dark matted hair came hurling towards him. He recognized the acrid stench. As the creature pounced on him, he fell onto his back on the floor. The flashlight he had in his hand rolled away from him, and as he looked away, he caught Nathan's gaze. "Nathan!" The young man didn't move, or speak. Gabriel looked back at the devilish eyes of the wendigo, and risked being seen as he quickly changed into his _loup-garou_ form.

He was able to kick the wendigo off of him as he scrambled back up onto his muscled paws. Nathan was nowhere to be seen. _Bastard._ Nathan had set him up. Gabriel had known for a long time Nathan had his eyes on Vivian. "I'm not going down that easy." Gabriel squared off against the wendigo, ready for it to make the first move.

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"Maybe you should take a break, Vivian."

"Not yet. I almost got it." Vivian stirred the herbs and safflower oil gently, uncovered for a few more minutes. Then she took the mixture and strained it over a cheese cloth into a glass jar. Strong smells of added a few more drops of the lemon oil onto the green paste in the bowl and mashed it up with the pestle. The smell was stronger then, of sandalwood and eucalyptus.

"Well done Vivian, you've just made your first bottle of antiseptic." Vivian smiled, wiping the sweat off of her brow.

"Good. Now teach me to make the ointments." Aunt Persia smiled, handing her a clean cloth, and turned around to fetch the agrimony, bay, juniper berries, mugwort, oregano, and sage they would be using to make different ointments for muscle and joint pain. In a little less than an hour, Vivian had mastered the process of breaking down the herbs well, straining them, and allowing them to set. She then added melted beeswax while this mixture was still warm, and jarred it when it cooled.

"Calendula or comfrey ointment is widely recommended as a first aid cream, and I have quite a few bottles left, so we won't need any of that. I think its time to take a break now, Vivian," she said, cleaning up the wooden table with a bright red cloth. "You have to give the comfrey, hyssop, lemon balm, and vervain time to steep if they're going to work as soothing herbs." Vivian nodded and lay on one of her Aunt's couches. Within minutes, she was asleep with strands of hair clinging to her face and nostrils full of the scents of that which she had learned to make.

In her dream she saw Jacob. Normally he walked or crawled over to her, but it seemed as if he had somewhere to go. "Go to him, Jacob. Keep him safe." Jacob smiled, and walked into the deep woods. He was strong. He would find a way to help his father.

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Gabriel panted and rolled onto his side, wiping off blood and spit. The wendigo and he were matched, blow for blow. Another punch to his back and Gabriel was down, and his lights were out momentarily. In the blur that followed, he felt as if a small hand was brushing the dirt off of his back and tugging on his shirt. _Jacob?_ The thought of his child brought a renewed strength, and Gabriel opened his eyes and stumbled back up onto his paws.

He howled, and his howl was returned by several other howls. The rest of the pack had finally arrived, as had the rogue pack, to protect their wendigo member. _Now we're matched._

Adam changed into his _loup-garou_ form, and surprised Gabriel. Under the light of the full moon he seemed bigger than all of the other _loup-garou._ He recognized his size as the same as that of the wendigo. Adam looked over at Gabriel as if to say, "I can take him." Gabriel nodded and looked for Nathan. They had a score to settle.

He found the young man standing at the edge of the village, on top of a broken down car. Gabriel growled furiously, and all of his hair stood on end. Nathan had an evil glint in his eye, but waited for Gabriel to make the first move. Gabriel ran full speed and sank his teeth into flesh, but was bucked off just as quickly. All of their play fighting had taught them the other's weaknesses, and what to keep from getting exposed.

Ulf looked around; narrowly avoiding getting swiped at by a blue haired male, but couldn't find Nathan or Gabriel anywhere. He reckoned they were fighting elsewhere, and went back to the male.

Nathan panted, knowing sooner or later he would have to be on the offense instead of the defense. But as long as Gabriel kept coming at him with as much force and anger as one scorned, he was stuck trying to save his own hide.

Their fight was interrupted by the strangest cry. Nathan and Gabriel looked at each other, as if to call a momentary truce. They were angry at each other, not at the owner of the cry. But the wendigo heard it too. It was coming from the base of a tree nearby.

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Vivian stood at the doorway of the inn, apologizing to the last of the humans. "It was unexpected to find this termite problem. I'm sorry for any inconvenience." The last of the humans was gone inside a yellow taxi, but Vivian wasn't worried about the monetary loss. She was more anxious to see when they would return.

The edge of the reserve wasn't more than an hour away. _I should go to him, _she thought. But the pack needed her here. Vivian paced around the room, and declined the cup of tea one of the triplet's was offering her. "Not now, Mercedes."

"Don't worry about it, Viv. They'll be back soon. I can feel it."

"I hope so."

Half an hour passed, then one hour passed, and then three hours. The brunette on the television didn't have much to report about the incident reported earlier.

"Officials conclude that the attack was indeed caused by a bear, which has been put down a few hours ago." The brunette on channel 31 cut to a Park Ranger, basically repeating what she had just said, as well as a big green map of the reserve.

"The bear looked pretty ferocious. But we got it taken care of just fine." _Taken care of. Like a disease. Oh, if only you knew,_ she thought. Emily walked in with the half-child, Katherine and her mother. The women were all gathered in the living room, waiting for some kind of signal.

She looked at the clock again. 6 am.

7 am.

7:40 am.

8:15 am.

There was a tired howl coming from outside. Tomas had run ahead of the pack. Esmé squealed and ran towards him. He was cut and bruised, but otherwise just fine. "Who made it?"

"All of us. The other pack is fine too. Only one was killed."

In unison the women sighed, and gasped. "Who?"

"A wendigo."

"Adam?" The triplets looked like they'd been struck a blow. Adam had been opening up around them recently.

"No. One of the others." Over the horizon several figures emerged, some of them as half changed _loup-garou_, others as humans. Vivian fought the urge to run towards the group and find Gabriel. Instead, she turned and yelled orders at the women.

"Listen up. You five," she said, pointing, "clear out the living room. We'll need a lot of floor space. You four go to Aunt Persia in the kitchen and fetch the bottles and jars she hands you, and bring them to the living room. Two of you go get the barrels of rain water outside in the backyard. Katherine, Emily, and Sandra, go get as many towels as you can from the laundry room." The figures loomed closer.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Strange scents filled the large room with their musk: blood and sandalwood, lemon and sweat, rainwater and eucalyptus. Vivian went around with Esmé, Sandra, Emily, and Aunt Persia, cleaning and putting ointment on cuts, and poultices over gashes to avoid infection. The rest of the women waited outside the living room to avoid crowding, and tend to those less injured.

Finally Vivian reached Gabriel, and he lay panting on the sofa. He had a lot of gashes, but he was trying his best to sit upright. "Gabe… its Viv. You're going to be just fine now." He didn't move, as if he couldn't hear her. "Gabe?" Gabriel looked at Vivian with delirious eyes and finally showed her what he was holding in his hands. _The package._

Vivian looked at the bundle, and then heard it cry. Jacob kicked. It was a child. A _loup-garou_ baby. Vivian held it in her arms before Gabriel slumped down onto the couch from loss of blood. She looked at the child's blonde hair and blue eyes. It was a girl. Vivian handed the child over to Aunt Persia, and the old woman took the child away somewhere, as if she had been expecting this all along. _She knew what the package was. _

Vivian didn't waste another second as she got to work, cleaning Gabriel's cuts, and practicing what she had just learned about healing.

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He awoke to a cool cloth on his forehead, and the scent of sandalwood around the room. "Viv?" His eyes danced around for a moment, not able to focus on anything, then focusing only on her golden eyes and hair. He heard the soft coos of a baby next to him. "Gabriel?" "No. Its not Gabriel. Not yet. How are you feeling?" He got up onto his elbows, and found that he was lying on his bed, in his room. Safe.

"Better." He pulled Vivian onto the bed, next to him, kissing her with all the ardor of being alive after all that had happened. The child next to them stirred again.

"Gabriel, who is she?" He racked his brain trying to remember. All of the events that had happened weren't fitting in his memory correctly.

"I found her. Her mother… was dying. She gave the child to me. She said her name is Delilah."

"Then she is our daughter. Our daughter named Delilah."

"Nuestra familia está creciendo." _Our family is growing, _Gabriel stammered as he looked into his daughter's bright blue eyes and golden hair. She looked enough like Vivian and he… but Gabriel would never lie to her. Delilah would know what a blessing it was that her mother gave her away. And that he caught her before the wendigo did.

"Gabe, where's Nathan? I didn't see him among the men who came back," she said, resting her head delicately against the space between his chest and shoulder.

"I honestly don't remember." And how Gabriel wished he did. He knew the coming days would be difficult. They would have to piece together what had happened back at the edge of the reserve, find Nathan, and get ready for Vivian's delivery. Jacob was due in less than a month. But the golden eyes of his wife, and her warmth, and the soft coos of his daughter, and the thought that his son was just itching to be born filled him with a new sense of strength, of life, and hope.

_AN: Thanks for waiting. As always, if you liked it, tell your friends! And please leave reviews._


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: Thank you all for being patient. I promise I haven't forgotten about you. Thanks to Annette Curtis Klause for her original story. And if you can, listen to the track "Long, Long Time Ago" by Javier Navarrete. Also note, this is a three part chapter, as I feel the need to post an update, but at the same time, I need to work on the next part(s) some more._

**Chapter 12: Part One**

A beautifully tragic song reverberated through the walls and doors of the inn. Those who were still awake at two a.m. did not mind hearing the gentle humming. Gabriel opened the door to his room just slightly, and so quietly Vivian wouldn't realize he was there at all. The moon shone through the white lace curtains, showering the child and the mother in its pearly glow. When the song finished, and the child was back asleep, Vivian placed Delilah in her crib and climbed back into bed. Gabriel took that as his cue to walk into the room, and close the door behind him.

"Where did you hear that?" he whispered, leaning over and giving his mate a kiss on the forehead.

"I don't know. I think it was on TV or something. I really liked it, so I thought I'd try it on Delilah."

"It looks like she liked it too."

Vivian offered no response, but looked out at the darkness of her room, holding her stomach and breathing out slowly. Any day now she would be giving birth to her first child, to Delilah's little brother, and to Gabriel's son. "What time is it?"

­­

­­­­­

"Two. You should go back to sleep." Her golden eyes stayed transfixed on his for moments until she nodded and lay down as best as she could. "G'night, my queen." Vivian smiled, and went back to sleep. They would have to have the serious talk when she was more prepared.

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The next morning, the Five were outside with their newest recruits, the triplets and Adam. Adam needed their company, since no one knew the whereabouts of his older brother. The worst part of the whole incident was that Adam wasn't sure if he missed his brother entirely. Part of him was glad his brother wasn't around to ruin what little friendships he had, while the other part of him wished none of this had ever happened. But he wasn't in that part of the woods with that particular Wendigo. Only Gabriel was, and he didn't remember a lot of things. The young man sighed and shook out his messy black hair, and answered when one of the triplets, Mercedes, called him to join the group.

"Gabe, you have to focus."  
"I'm trying."

The fumes wafting all around the room weren't helping his lightheadedness. Gabriel's eyes darted around the room for a second, taking in the herbs hanging from the rafters, and the endless rows of jars on cabinets. It seemed ridiculous that in a few weeks Vivian had already accumulated this many jars and bouquets of healing supplies. He looked once more at his mate, with the wisps of golden hair sticking to bright red cheeks, and then noticed her steely glance. She had warned him time and time again that she could only stay in his visions for a short time. He had tried to tell her he couldn't see anything in the earthenware bowl expect for the silvery liquid.

"This is getting us nowhere, Viv."

"Well, it's the only way."

Vivian was right. Trying to explore his visions was the only way to figure out where Nathan was, if he was still alive. And it was the only way they could be sure the Wendigo was out of the picture. _Oh moon goddess, maybe I'm not strong enough for this… _she looked at the bright blue orbs struggling to get a vision out of the silvery liquid… and then she had an idea. _I may not be strong enough, but I know someone who is._

"Okay, we're going to try something else."

"No more incense."

She smirked, but took deep breaths of the air in her room. Impulsively, she labeled the scents around her while she focused on the task ahead. _Wood Betony__Rosemary__Gotu Kola__Gingko Biloba__, and __Ginger__… for mental clarity. _The couple found themselves in a rather large shed, which had been converted into her healer's quarters. None of the human inhabitants of the inn would venture out this far, so she rarely had to keep it locked.

"What do you think our child is going to look like?" For a second, a look flashed across his face, like he didn't understand what their child had to do with visions. But he didn't ask questions.

"…Hold on… You've told me this. He has… your eyes. Gold. And, my black hair. And he's got curls, like the triplets. And… he's tan skinned, like me." Her smile was warm.

"Good. Now focus on Jacob. Focus on what he looks like, and then try seeing, again." Gabriel focused on the child's cherub face in his mind, then looked down into the silvery liquid, and was extremely surprised at the actual visions before him.

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Jacob was six. His features were just like those in the vision in his mind. And he could speak. Gabriel remembered Vivian telling him it took a lot of power to speak aloud in someone else's visions. A tiny swell of pride grew at this child Gabriel hadn't even met yet.

"We don't have a lot of time, papa. Come with me." Gabriel took his son's hand and followed the child into the forest which all of a sudden seemed so familiar.

There was a smell of blood everywhere; and the smell of fresh meat, and decay. The Wendigo lurked behind the shadows, waiting for Gabriel. Jacob took a step forward, and the scene changed. This time he was fighting the Wendigo. It felt strange to be holding onto the hand of his child, and watching himself fighting with Nathan and a Wendigo.

"I was such a fool, to think I could take the both of them."

"No papa, look." He noticed he was fighting Nathan, but Nathan wasn't fighting back. He was helping Gabriel take down the Wendigo. A surge of hatred welled up inside Gabriel unlike anything he had ever felt before. With every misguided blow he watched himself make against Nathan, he hated himself that much more. "Why was Nathan _there_?"

"The Wendigo was a friend of his. He wanted to trick you. But he felt sorry after." Gabriel nodded, and then the scene in front of him started getting brutal. He couldn't tell from the blood spilt which was his, or the Wendigo's, or Nathan's. There were vicious growls and howling. The Wendigo was calling out in its mutilated voice, a sort of cross between a human scream and a howl. The paternal part of Gabriel knew better than to expose his son to the rest of this scene.

"That's enough Jacob. We can go now. I just need to know one more thing."  
"Huh?"  
"Where's Nathan now?"

"Over there," he said, taking another step and changing the scene once more. Gabriel hadn't been to this part of the forest before. It looked like an abandoned camping ground. There was rain. Nathan had made some makeshift bandages, but needed some help.

"Is he still alive?" Jacob nodded.

"Gabriel, you have to leave now." Vivian's voice was a lot smaller than Jacob's. It was as if the wind had said it in passing. Gabriel looked down at his son, wanting more time to talk to him, to look at his face. Then Jacob smiled. And he had a glint in his eye when he smile, just like his dad.

"I'll see you soon, mi hijo."

"Very soon, papa."

His eyes cleared, and the smell of incense flooded his nostrils. He looked up at Vivian, and then suddenly got up from his seat, grasping her face in his firm hands and giving her an ardent kiss, placing his hands on her belly. "I'm so proud right now." Vivian glowed, and held her stomach. She knew he had seen what he had needed to see. Jacob had already proven his strength.

"I have to go, Viv."

"I understand."

As he walked back to the inn, his mind raced. _Nathan's still alive. Jacob called me papa. I never even called my old man that. I have to right what I did to Nathan. We'll need a search party. Not a lot of people, because there need to be men here, just in case. Just in case of what? Vivian!_

He couldn't dare leave his mate now. Jacob's birth was so close. He was just about to turn back around, and explain to Vivian that he might have to be gone for a day or two, when he saw the door to the shed open. Vivian stepped out, fanning her face and holding her waist. A ray of sunlight caught the moon pendant around her neck, and the next thing he knew, she was slowly slipping against the door towards the floor.

"Viv!" Gabriel ran to her side. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes were wide, and dilated. She tried to say words, but no sound came out, only a short gasp for air. The smell from inside the shed wafted outside. He knelt down beside her, and pushed all of her hair back. He reached for his walky-talky, to call all of the women necessary. He managed to push the red signal button when Vivian's water broke…

_AN: This is all I have so far. I'm sorry if this doesn't even count as a decent part one of a chapter, but I will try to be more prompt on the next part. As always, I'd really appreciate your reviews!  
_


	17. Chapter 17

_AN: I'm baaack! Sorry for the hiatus. I've been gone for a while, crazy stuff's being going on at home and school… but I have been working on the next part of chapter 12 … and here's a sneak peek…_

**Chapter 12 Part Two**

Gabriel was reassured again and again his mate would be fine. He had to believe Aunt Persia. He needed to believe. But the delivery had taken such a long time already…

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There was a ringing sound all through the forest, which made the birds in the trees cry out and leave in a hurry. Someone was in the forest. Someone with a gun.

---

She paced around the inn, hoping Gabriel would return soon. It was soon about to rain.

--

Delilah's cry rang out above all the others. The pack quieted down, and were forced to listen.

-

It seemed unlikely that now, of all times, Aiden would reappear. And on TV no less.

--

­­With all of the events that had been going on recently, it seemed hard to believe peace would come. It seemed all anyone could do was hold their breath and wait.

---

_So, I hope I've got at least SOME of your interest again... and thanks to my loyal readers. Be expecting the FULL chapter sometime in the coming week._


	18. Chapter 18

_AN: I'm not going to leave y'all waiting any longer. Thanks as always are in order for Annette Curtis Klause, and thank you all for staying loyal to this distracted writer. Now, let's hope this chapter is rich enough to keep y'all satisfied for a little while. _

**Chapter 12: Part Two**

Time slowed down to a relentless crawl. Minutes passed by, then an hour. But the wait was unbearable. It seemed as if the minutes became whole hours, and hours became days. He wondered at the state of his beloved wife, and hoped that her strength would serve her well.

He looked around the living room, at the specific chairs, tables, and book cases. Vivian was specific. She knew what she wanted, and no one was going to get in her way. She was solely responsible for the warmth of this room, and the whole inn. The walls were beige and green because of her, and the furniture had that air of effortless rustic comfort because that is what she wanted. The furniture was driving him mad. He needed to find something else to focus all of his energy on.

Gabriel decided to rearrange some of the picture frames on the shelves. He moved his favorites to the front. There was the picture they took at the fair. There was the picture she took of him on his motorcycle. There was the one he took of the whole pack, minus a few new members. The intimate pictures were in his room, but he couldn't bear to look at them now. Now, when he felt so useless, he couldn't bear to look at the pictures they had of each other. Like the one he took with Vivian sleeping in one of his oversized shirts. Or the candid shot Tomas took of them while they sat outside on the hammock.

"Gabriel, please! You're making us all nervous. Vivian's going to be fine. She's strong, you know."

"I know," he said, sitting down on one of the couches.

Meanwhile, Vivian worked hard to control her breathing. _Oh moon goddess, give me strength._ Never before had she experienced such an acute pain; pain that came in waves, and then subsided, allowing her to think, and then robbing her of her thoughts.

A few hours ago, she had woken up as usual, but for some reason, just knew this day was the day. Gabriel was at once ecstatic and nervous as he helped Vivian get to Aunt Persia's house. They kissed once, quickly, and she made him leave. Tradition didn't allow males to witness childbirth. Everything was going smoothly, but as she watched Aunt Persia enter the room with supplies in her arms, Vivian had become suddenly nervous. "What if I don't know what to do?!"

"You don't have to know, baby. Mother nature has already taught your body what to do," Esmé said fondly, tying her hair back and propping Vivian up on the pillows in Aunt Persia's room.

Her mother was right. Somehow, Vivian's body knew just how to push to get that baby out. As she breathed in and out through her mouth, she caught the smells of lavender and vanilla as they permeated the hot room.

Esmé held on to her daughter's hand, willing her to just give that extra ounce of effort, while Aunt Persia made sure nothing went wrong during delivery. A human in the room might have been scared to see the razor sharp claws and feral fangs of the mother-to-be, but the few pack women that were allowed in the room barely took notice of them.

Another half hour passed by.

"She's taking too long," he growled.

"Patience Gabriel." He looked around the room once more. They were right, he needed to be the rock for the pack. Gabriel was reassured again and again his mate would be fine. He needed to believe in Aunt Persia. But the delivery had taken such a long time.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Will's in charge."

All three of the triplets chimed in at once. "Gabriel! You can't go in there! Men aren't supposed to be around during these kinds of things."

"I don't care. I know where I'm needed."

From her training as a healer, she knew soothing thoughts helped relax the muscles. So Vivian thought. _Gabriel's eyes are blue. -- They're deep blue when he's happy. -- They're ice blue when he's angry. -- How I wish those eyes were here to calm me now_. Her thoughts were interrupted by another strong push. As the wave passed over, Vivian got back her breathing.

Just then, the door swung open, and the owner of those blue eyes she longed for walked over to her side. Esmé had no choice but to move so the pack leader could be with his mate. She half smiled, and moved to Vivian's other side, to put cool cloths on her daughter's head.

He didn't speak. Gabriel just stood there, looking intently into her eyes, holding her hand, happy that she was squeezing it so hard. She was strong. Vivian smiled a small smile, and pushed again.

A few more minutes passed, but they seemed more bearable now that they were together, defying tradition once more.

"Alright, here it comes," Aunt Persia called for more cloths and hot water. "Come on Vivian, just one more time, you can do it." Vivian's breathing became more ragged. Her eyes grew wide; she tossed her head back onto the pillow, and gave the biggest effort of her life. Every muscle in her body was taut, and instead of a yell she let out a howl that could've reached the moon goddess.

Afterwards, one of the happiest sounds permeated through the room. The tiny baby's incessant wailing brought on happy tears to those who heard it. Gabriel held onto Vivian's slender arms, more in love with her than he thought he would ever be with anyone. She had given him a son, a beautiful boy with a full head of spiky dark hair and golden eyes. Vivian reached her arms out and held on to her child, instinctively counting fingers and toes before handing Jacob back to Esmé. The older women fussed over the newborn, leaving Vivian and Gabriel alone for a moment.

Vivian looked worn out, but proud all at the same time. Her eyes searched for the sapphires that gave her strength, and found they were clouded. For a moment, neither of them knew what to say, so they didn't say a thing. Gabriel cupped his hand under her chin, stroking the strands of hair plastered on her face. Her cheeks burned bright red. His face inched closer, but stopped just short of her lips. Gabriel, for the first time in his life, didn't know exactly how to kiss her, to let her know how much she loved him. Vivian felt the anticipation, felt the swell of her tired heart as she longed for him. It hurt to love someone so much at that moment. She reached her lips up to meet his, and for a moment they lingered, not asking anything of each other, just taking in the warmth.

"Now, Gabriel. She needs to rest." He pulled away for a second, punch drunk with happiness. Aunt Persia had his son in her arms, and handed him over to Gabriel. "Gently, now." Vivian's eyes brimmed with tears she couldn't control, as she caught a glimpse of what most people barely saw. Most people saw Gabriel as one of those tough guys that get whatever they want, no questions asked. She had misjudged him once, as one of those guys. But now that she knew him, really knew him, Vivian knew she had chosen the best person for her. Past that tough exterior and natural confidence, Gabriel was a genuine, thoughtful man. And it was this man that held their child as if he had always had a child in his arms to hold.

As she put her supplies away, Aunt Persia looked to the future. In a few months, Jacob would start getting the changes that made them wonderful beasts of the night. And Delilah was months older, so her changes would be coming shortly.

While Vivian rested, Gabriel kissed his son on the forehead, gently, and Jacob made the strangest, best sound. Jacob cooed like a human child, but also yipped like a pup.

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A week had passed, and not since the arrival of Delilah had the pack felt so much excitement and energy. Some pack women, like Esmé, and the half-child's mother, were allowed to take care of Vivian's children for a while, to give her a little break. Until the sun went down. Then her _loup-garou_ mother instincts kicked in and she asked that the children be returned to her, so she could take care of them. At least, until Jacob woke up in the early hours of the morning, then Gabriel would step in and take over.

That night, Gabriel was walking up the stairs to bring Vivian a glass of water, when he heard a soft melodious song. Vivian was softly humming Delilah's lullaby. He silently entered the room, and watched his wife with their son in her arms on the rocking chair, while their daughter was fast asleep in her crib. Vivian looked up at him, and smiled, still humming. There were no signs of lack of sleep on her face. She had been well taken care of.

"You're going to have to make up a new song for Jacob," he said, kissing her gently and sitting beside her at the edge of their bed.

"I know. I've got some ideas, but I'm not sure he'll like them."

"Of course he will." Even though it was ridiculous to ask, he wondered when he would hear either of his children speak real words, and watch them take their first few steps under the full moon. "So, how long do you think-"

"Six months. Two months for Delilah. And yes, I'm already counting down the days. Delilah's going to be a fast learner, especially since social interaction speeds up learning."

"Well then its good they're getting so much social interaction here," he said, never noticing he had dropped his voice to just barely above a whisper. Vivian grinned, and felt Jacob's stillness as a sign that he had fallen asleep. Since his birth, he hadn't communicated with her through visions. Aunt Persia said it was all a matter of timing. In the womb, he had the strongest connection with his mother. She could hear the old woman's encouraging words in her head, _once he realizes this person taking care of him is the same person from before, the strong mental powers should come back_.

"Como estás?" she asked, happy to bring that roguish smile to his face.

"Ridiculously happy." Vivian got up from the rocking chair carefully, and placed the tiny child faced down in his crib, adjusting the cushions that kept him from rolling over accidentally.

"Why?"

"Do I need a reason?" he murmured, pulling her close. "I have everything I've ever wanted, right here. I have you, two beautiful children, and an accepting pack." Vivian glowed from all of the compliments, especially the part about their pack. _Even Gabriel understands how blessed we are to have so many new members, and a half child amongst us. _"But..."

"But?"

"It's just… you know the feeling you get when everything is going right? The feeling that something _has_ to go wrong? That's what I'm worried about."

"Don't worry about it any longer," she said, placing both of her hands on his face and drawing him to her. Gabriel purred contentedly, happy to simply hold his wife in his arms. That was all he needed for a little while.

Later that night, as the sounds of soft breathing from his wife and children filled the room; Gabriel realized what he had been worried about. Nathan still wasn't back. And there was still the possibility that he could be alive.

His conscience fought against itself. Leaving the children so soon would be wrong. Leaving a pack member behind would be wrong. Pack law stated he was responsible for all of its members. But, his wife had just had children.

He paused as a whisper played in his ear. "You're thinking about Nathan, aren't you?"

"How did you know?"

"I know _you_ Gabe. I know you haven't forgotten about Nathan. And I know you care so much about other people you can hardly find time for yourself."

"That's not me. That's you."

"I am this way because of you."

"So you think I should…"

"You know what you have to do. I will be right here to support you, whatever your decision may be." He nodded and kissed Vivian tenderly. She was more precious to him than he would ever be able to admit.

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That morning, before the sun rose, Gabriel was on his motorcycle while his wife held both of their children in her arms. Vivian refused to cry. And she refused to say goodbye to him before he left. "Be back soon. And be safe."

He leaned in and whispered in her ear while she stared straight ahead at the slowly rising sun. "Te amo."

She kissed him once, and watched as he rode off towards the reserve. Gabriel would take care of himself. He had to.

Willem and his girlfriend greeted her as she reemerged from her room; the shed that was now a healer's den. "I went ahead and reopened the inn."

"Thank you, Willem." Despite the mysterious opening and closing of the inn on several occasions, there was a lot of business to be had, from such a fine location.

But she regretted Willem's decision as more guests piled in, asking to see the other owner of the inn. "Yes, he had to go see some relatives at the hospital." Only members of her pack got any real explanations. "He went to go find Nathan. Don't tell Adam though. I don't want him to think he's in any way responsible. You know how Gabriel is, this is something he has to do, or he won't be able to live with himself."

Gabriel made his way through the forest, remembering what Vivian had told him about where she had seen Nathan last. _There was a campfire. The trees were thicker. There was a small stream by their campsite. He's injured, but not very badly._ There was still a possibility Nathan had been infected by the Wendigo, but that was a risk he had to take. If he came home empty handed… Well, at least he had to try.

This time, it was Vivian who was playing the waiting game. She busied herself while she waited, mixing up new antibiotic ointments, and watching some pack women as they held her children. But Gabriel was constantly on her mind. She paced around the inn, hoping Gabriel would return soon. It was about to rain.

"Drink some of this child. It will calm your nerves." She thanked her aunt, and drank down the tea.

At seven in the afternoon, the pack and some human guests gathered around the television in the living room, hearing the announcement of some breaking news.

"Vivy, isn't that-"

A man appeared on the television, offering some advice to those who had offered an eye witness account of what they thought was animals mauled by wild cats or bears. His face was familiar, if a little aged. Vivian blinked a few times. It seemed unlikely that now, of all times, Aiden would barge into her life again. And on TV no less. She snatched the remote from one of the triplets and turned the volume up. "There are things in this world we cannot understand. And I just want everyone to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Please call this number." Then he handed the microphone back to the reporter, who relayed the story back to the news anchor.

"Paranormal expert?!" _Shit. If Gabriel finds out about this he will not be pleased._

"You know him?" Vivian looked at one of the guests, aware that her pack wasn't alone.

"Uhh, yes. He and I used to go to high school together."

There was a ringing sound all through the forest, which made the birds in the trees cry out and leave in a hurry. Someone was in the forest. A lot of someone's were. They were all armed.

Gabriel cursed and loped off, looking for some cover. He hadn't yet reached the campsite, but was aware he wasn't alone. Someone had alerted the Reserve Guard about suspicious activity, and now they were going to investigate. But what did they shoot at? He realized he had to get to Nathan in time, before they did. So he waited for nightfall. When their scents wouldn't overpower everything else.

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The pack gathered in the backyard, away from the ears of their human co-inhabitants. Then they began their furious arguments, choosing to stay in their human form. Vivian tried to listen to them all, but they needed more than guidance. If only Gabriel were here, he'd silence them and make them see rationally.

"We have to leave. There are probably guards looking for us now."  
"What makes you think they know about us?"  
"That human boy probably told them about us!"  
"We don't know for sure!"

"People, please-" Vivian was ignored as the arguments raged on.

"If we leave, they'll have more of a reason to suspect us!"  
"Willem has a point. But where would we leave to?"  
"We can't just leave! Think of the children!"  
"The children and women will be the first to leave. They can go back. Uncle Bucky will know what to do. We'll go into the reserve and look for Gabriel."

"Oh, so Gabriel is going to solve all of our problems, is he?" Vivian winced at Adam's remark. He had respect for the pack, but obviously missed his brother.

"Shut up, boy. He's out there looking for your stupid ass brother." Adam's face blanched.

"People!" No one heard Vivian, and she began to lose her temper.

Delilah's cry rang out above all the others. The woman holding her blushed, and looked at the ground, as if she was embarrassed at her decision to bring the baby outside. Vivian held her daughter, and rocked her gently back to sleep while she talked. The pack quieted down, and were forced to listen.

"First of all, when I speak, you listen. I am your alpha-female still." Several members of the pack looked down at the ground, ashamed. Vivian had rarely called on her rank for power. "Secondly, no one is leaving to anywhere. This is our home. This is where we will be safe. If you want, we can ask the human guests to leave again. It's not like they haven't in the past." Some nodded. "I want a few men to go to the reserve and look for Gabriel. Stick together at all times. Volunteer yourselves because I am not about to pick you and start another petty argument. The rest of you have to stay here. Just in case."

Vivian and the pack females left the men to their deliberations, and walked back towards the inn. Vivian consulted with her aunt as they made their way inside. "Did you see this coming?"

"No child. You know already my third eye is slowly leaving me."

"But do you think we'll have yet another battle on our hands? A battle against humans, with guns?"

"I hope it doesn't come to that. But we should prepare just in case." Vivian nodded, and put her daughter back into her crib upstairs in their room. Jacob was already in his crib, asleep. She picked up the picture of Gabriel she took once when they went to the beach, and prayed for the best.

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"Gabriel? Is that you?" Gabriel held back, and took assessment of Nathan's wounds. There were several deep gashes that looked half healed, and some that had split open again. As he took a step towards his pack member, he remembered what Adam had said once, about a Wendigo's eyes, and edged closer towards the moonlight. Nathan's eyes caught a beam of the light, and shone yellow, like a dog's. He wasn't infected. Wendigo had red reflections in their eyes.

"I'm here to bring you back, Nathan. There's some strange stuff going on."

"I know. There are Guard's out here."

"Yeah. I don't know why though. It doesn't make sense." He slung the pack he had brought with him forward. Inside was a jar of healing ointment, splints, and a lot of bandages. Nathan cringed as he applied some ointment onto the deepest wounds, and looked up at Gabriel.

"Look Gabriel, I'm-"

"You don't have to say anything."

"No. I do. That was shit. I had no right to do that to you guys, especially after you welcomed me into your pack with open arms."

"Maybe that's the problem. We're not selective enough"

"No. That's not a problem. That's a blessing. How many packs do you think would have accepted my brother? How many do you think would have much rather killed him on the spot, to protect their pack."

"Good point. And that's why I'm here. You're strong, Nathan. An idiot, and a coward at times, but strong nonetheless. Our pack needs more strong members, especially if we are to face whatever's going on right now." Nathan nodded, and force changed back into a _loup-garou._

Just then, two Guards strayed from their search team, and stumbled upon an abandoned campsite. There was a lot of blood, and strange footprints on the forest ground. They radioed their supervisor, and one of them pulled out a small slip of paper with a phone number on it from his pocket.

"What's that, Jim?"

"Do those tracks look like anything you've ever seen?"

"They sort of look like wolf prints, but-"

"Exactly. We need to bring in an expert to check these out."

"You don't really believe in that quack Aiden or whomever, do you?"

"Those tracks beg me to differ."

From a safe distance, shrouded in shadow, two _loup-garoux_ watched them. The one with bright blue eyes bared his fangs. _Aiden_. He knew he needed to get back to the inn as quickly as possible, but also needed to hide the tracks. Nathan forced back a growl. Those were his tracks, and that made him responsible. He looked over at Gabriel, and both knew what they had to do. _Leave as little evidence as possible._

_AN: So? Did you like it? Please review! And, sorry AGAIN for the ridiculously long wait._


	19. Chapter 19

Dear Readers,

I am so sorry I haven't updated or even left you a letter, but I have received all of your wonderful reviews.

As of today, I have one quarter of the following chapter complete. And, to be completely honest, I've been slacking off of working on it because I haven't felt the inspiration recently. When I write, I get a spark of an idea, and that's what drives my story along. But as of late, I've lost touch with the Vivian and Gabriel voices inside my head, because of a pesky little thing called summer vacation.

In short... don't worry!

I'm not dead, and I'm not about to give up on this story. I am just not a hundred percent sure when I will post the next chapter. I would love to say one week from today, but that's kind of pushing it. I just want whatever I write and post to be something I'm proud of, instead of just a half done thing just for the sake of updating.

And, while I'm still writing this, I would like to ask that any further reviews be about my story, and not that wretch of a movie I refuse to watch. Everyone who has told me about the movie has told me the same thing. "Don't watch this movie, I didn't like it. It would have been okay if they hadn't decided to name it Blood and Chocolate because it was nothing like the book." So thank you for averting my eyes from all of that, but please, I would like to hear more about my writing.

Thanks again for all your patience.

Patricia


	20. Chapter 20

_AN: I'm not going to make you wait any longer. Most of the characters and setting belong to Annette Curtis Klause._

**Chapter 13**

Vivian was scared. For what seemed like the hundredth time she looked out into the dark sky through her bedroom window. The moonlight washed everything with its milkiness, but she found little confort in the view. Her eyes wanted to see black fur dotted with stars.

Inside the room, there was stillness. Vivian watched the little breaths of Delilah play on her brother's spiky black hair while they slept, side by side. Almost twins brought together by fate. A human mother would have screamed in terror at the sight of her baby sleeping next to a wild puppy, but Vivian relished the sight. She heard a tiny knock on the door.

Esmé entered, wearing a very familiar cotton bathrobe over what appeared to be pink pajama pants. "Since when did you get to wearing actual pajama sets?"

"Since you moved out. We all grow up, Viv." Vivian looked at her children impulsively, smiling softly.

"Have you heard anything?"

"No, the search parties have only been out for a couple of hours though."

"Hours seems like ages."

"Tell me about it." Vivian glanced up at her mother, remembering Tomas was one of the runners in the search. "I came to see if you needed anything."

"I'm fine, mom... Really." Esmé just stood there, never averting her eyes from Vivian's. Maybe it was the stress, or the late hour, or the fact that she hadn't really had one-on-one time with her mother in days, but all of a sudden, hot tears were trailing down Vivian's cheeks. Uninvited, unannounced, they were coming, and it was all Vivian could do to keep her sobs quiet. Esmé, however, seized the opportunity to hold her grown daughter close, giving Vivian a stable shoulder to break down on. "I'm not fine. I'm ... terrified" she breathed, afraid that if she gave her fear a voice it would somehow have power. "I… there's no real happily ever after for a _loup garou_, is there?"

"No…There isn't. But we have to try." Esmé let her daughter cry for a while longer, then calmed her down. "Vivian, that's enough. We need you." And just like that, once again she stopped being a needy child, and became a leader, Vivian nodded, quickly drying her face.

"Thank you, mom."

"You're welcome, baby," she said, exiting the room as quietly as she had entered. Vivian winced involuntarily at the mention of that pet name. That was what her husband called her. _No, husband's too formal. Gabriel is my protector, my provider, my lover, and I miss him more than I should. _Vivian grabbed his pillow, and buried her face in it. There, in his clean and masculine scent, she found the peace she was looking for. But the blankets and down comforter could do nothing to warm her. She longed for the heat that eternally radiated off of him in waves.

---------------------------------------------------

"How many more days until we're back?" asked Nathan, cleaning the blood off of his hands and licking some new wounds.

"Two days at the most. We'll leave at sunrise." Gabriel looked away quickly, concealing all emotion. He was angry, tired, sore, and he missed Vivian.

Before he had met her, back when it was just him and whichever girl he happened upon, life had been a lot simpler, and a lot emptier. Back then, a mission such as this one would have been handled rather carelessly, but quickly. Now they had the added pressure of having to rest and hide their tracks. Now they had to mind the number of casualties.

"What are you going to do about Aiden?" Gabriel looked up at Nathan, still keeping a stoic expression on his face.

"I'm not sure. Technically he hasn't done anything to our pack. But if he dares..." Gabriel didn't finish, he checked himself before he said anything else. Nathan understood though, there was a deep ingrained hatred for that particular human. The kind of hatred born out of jealousy and pride, the kind Nathan had been unfortunate enough to witness on more than one occasion.

"We should rest." Gabriel nodded, and changed into his true form, to be ready for whatever came next.

------------------------------------------

Vivian woke up a few hours later, glancing around the room. Her children had been moved from their crib. Without thinking, she ran down the hall, but stopped short at the top of the stairs. Katherine, the redheaded half-human little girl had Delilah in her arms, and Willem's girlfriend Emily had Jacob.

Exhaling, Vivian went back to her room to get ready for the day. If a fight was imminent, she would be ready. Aunt Persia had forbidden Vivian from entering her own healer's den, the converted shed, because they had enough supplies, and enough healing materials to last for months.

The last time they had a vision session, Vivian had failed miserably. According to her aunt, her mind's eye was clouded by worry and longing. The only vision that came to her mind was the ones in which she was with Gabriel.

_She was a teenager, and was nervous. In her vision, she was anxious at this man and the warmth that radiated off of him. Vivian disliked his swagger and arrogance._ Now she longed for him, for that warmth. But the vision was deemed useless, so Vivian put on a sweatshirt, pants, and sneakers, and went out for a run as a human. If she ran as her true form, Vivian couldn't fend off the temptation to run right into the reserve to look for her beloved.

She found peace in the rapid thumping of her heart, and in the icy air entering her lungs. Finally, sweating and exhausted, she returned to the inn, to check on her children before going back upstairs to take a shower.

The alpha female had just finished putting on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, and was about to quickly blow dry her hair, when she heard a knock at the door. Vivian pounced on her bed, faster than she should have, and ran to open it. "What is it?" Willem looked startled at how quickly she had answered.

"You have a visitor. It's…"

"Aiden." For some reason, Vivian had a feeling she would have to confront him sooner or later, especially after seeing him on the television. "I'll be right down." She didn't bother drying her hair, just piled it on her head and ran a ponytail through it.

Aiden had been sat down, rather rudely, in the library. This room was just as large as the others, and just as comfortable, with several shelves stacked with books and expensive computers resting on neat desks. From where he sat, he noticed a redheaded girl playing with a blonde baby sitting on a rocker. Across from him, an attractive blonde was holding a dark haired baby boy and humming.

Vivian had always been trusting of other people, and apparently agreed with the old adage, _it takes a village to raise a child. _She watched him looking around the room, looking stuffy in his suit, his gold wedding ring glittering dully.

Aiden noticed her entering the room from a door to his right. She hadn't changed much. Vivian was still gorgeous, and fit. Her features were softer, and she seemed kinder, probably because of her children. However, all of her kindness faded as she sat across from him, thrusting the cup of coffee in his direction. Vivian was pure ice.

"Why are you here?"

"Vivian… first of all, you have to know I'm on your side."

"There are no sides."

"From where I'm standing, there are. Your… I have reason to suspect creatures like… may be involved in recent killings that have taken place on the outskirts of this reserve."

"Wasn't that what you thought last time? And you can say it, you know. It doesn't bother me one bit… my people. My creatures. Me." He winced. The two other girls in the room could feel the tension, and quickly cleared out.

"I…" Aiden composed himself. He was a proffesional, and he knew what he was talking about. "There's evidence that can't be explained. Large footprints, like that of a wolf, and people disappearing."

"It's not my pack. Or _people_ like me." He paused, startled.

"That may be so, but…"

"But nothing. _Why_ are you here?" she snapped, growing more and more impatient with his stammering.

"Vivian! I just came to make sure that…"

"You're wrong! Again! Was poetry not paying the bills? Did you decide to become a ghostbuster instead?" That last comment struck a nerve. He put his cup of coffee down, nearly missing the wooden coaster.

"I see you haven't changed much."

"Neither have you," she said, avoiding his gaze and crossing her arms in front of her.

"I'm here to help, and when you're ready to accept that… when you're done being stubborn, you can give me a call." Aiden got up, and handed her a business card. There, in plain black and white, was his name and two phone numbers. She thought of crushing the card, but kept it and watched him leave the library. _He might be helpful later on. We could use an ally._ She dismissed the thoughts, and went back to her pack.

A few faces looked up at her, full of curiosity. She shook her head as if to say that he didn't have anything important to tell, and they returned their eyes to the television. Vivian sat down on the sofa, where Gabriel usually sat, and twirled the business card in her hand.

----------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, Vivian went back upstairs quietly. Her children were already in their crib, asleep. Since Gabriel had left, the crib had been moved from the nursery, the room adjoining theirs, to her room. The alpha female changed into her white cotton nightgown, and rested her head against the soft wooden railing of their crib, watching their little shoulders rise and fall.

Vivian tried to sleep, resting her head on his pillow, but she woke up minutes later, restless.

She paced over to her children again. Delilah stirred in her sleep, and changed into a tiny pup. Vivian grinned, then noticed little gold eyes opening and looking up at her.

A strange feeling crept onto her, like a vision that was slowly clouding her eyes, or at least trying to. "Jacob?" she whispered. Jacob's little golden eyes were fixed on hers, calm, warm, happy. Vivian closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind.

This time her vision was clear, and she was standing in her room. The floor was swaying like water. Jacob was three. His spiky hair had grown out into a full head of curls. "Mama?" he said, his child's voice loud in the quiet room.

"Show me…" said Vivian, trying to sound as loud as Jacob did, but barely managing just above a whisper.

"I can't. Not here." His golden eyes looked out at the curtain, and she nodded. Vivian stepped out of her realm of visions, and took her baby boy in her arms, wrapping him in a blanket. Silently, wordlessly, she passed all of the rooms where pack members were deep in slumber, and walked down the stairs and out the back door.

The grass was wet with dew and cold against her bare feet, and the breeze blew her hair and gown around in lazy circles. When she breathed out, she could feel little puffs of air pause in front of her. Still Vivian kept walking.

"Tell me where daddy is," she said, stopping right at the edge of where the forest began and the backyard ended. Vivian closed her eyes, and saw.

_Gabriel and Nathan were making their way south, still not entirely sure of where they were going. They were miles away, but picking up speed. They crossed a group of Reserve Guards with scary precision. Not one of them bothered to look up at what they thought was the breeze. They passed a familiar rock. That would be her landmark._

"Mama…" Vivian was suddenly forced back from her vision, gasping. The sun was rising, tinting her moon pendant pink and orange. She had almost spent too long. Vivian walked back to the inn quickly and deliberately, holding her baby closer, filled with renewed energy and hope.

---------------------------------------------------------------

As much as Gabriel wanted to keep running, they still had to stop to hide their tracks. Then there was the matter of hiding a different kind of evidence. Gabriel had to keep Nathan's temper in line, making sure there wouldn't be an excess of missing Guards. A few casualties could easily pass off as having gotten lost in the woods, but any more and the lot of them would be whipped into a frenzy.

­­­

The pack leader was sorely tempted when the humans brought out search dogs. The dogs could pick up on their scent, but were ignorant to what they were looking for. Not realizing their blood kinship, the dogs eagerly tracked them wherever they went. The simplest solution would have been to get rid of the humans and the stupid beasts in one fell swoop, but they just had to keep moving forward.

"If it comes to fighting, we have allies in other packs," said Nathan, panting as he kept running. When they were forced to lay low, they changed to humans, so it would be harder for the dogs to pick up on their scent.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Meanwhile, the search party was getting frantic. They weren't any closer to finding Nathan and Gabriel, and had encountered several Reserve Guards. The first time they met with a Guard, they acted instinctively. The man barely had a chance to scream when he was killed by beasts the size of legends. The second and third time the _loup-garoux _were met with more resistance, but human bones were fragile.

Willem and the Five, Tomas and Adam had split up, only to reunite empty handed.

"We've got company," said Tomas, licking blood off his fangs.  
"How many more are there?"

"It doesn't matter. We could take them all," said Ulf, gnashing his fangs furiously.  
"No! Don't be stupid."

"We have to go back," said Willem, trying to be reasonable.  
"But we still haven't found Gabriel or Nathan..."

"I'm sorry Adam. But the Reserve Guard was brought out here for a reason. Something is happening, and we have to be ready. We have to go back. The pack needs us." Adam's shoulder's fell. He was resigned but concerned for his pack just the same.

They agreed to go back, and were making their way towards the inn, when they caught a scent in the wind. The humans were getting impatient, and frustrated. They were looking for something they weren't even sure was missing. Tomas looked at the party, as if to tell them to be extra careful, and they moved on. Then they caught a scent of liquor, and a gun was fired.

They sped up their pace, knowing that if they were caught, it could be fatal for everyone involved.

"Damn humans."

----------------------------------

Vivian's leg hopped up and down with nervous energy. The rest of the pack were eating breakfast, but she had lost her appetite. As much as she wanted to ask Esmé or Aunt Persia for help, she was sure she knew what their response would be.

"No Vivian, there's no way in hell you're leaving your pack to go look for them. They don't need your help. They know where they're going." Vivian shook her head, trying to get her mother's voice out. _Oh moon goddess, give me strength._ She watched the triplets hand out plates of food, smiles in all of their faces. Their raven hair and tanned skin reminded her so much of Gabriel.

Maria, Mercedes, and Monica were his only remaining family. She owed it to them to make sure their brother was safe.  
But could she leave her pack?

Jacob hiccupped, and Vivian looked down at the baby in her arms. He was already a handsome boy, his golden eyes half hidden under long, thick lashes. His spiky hair bristled against her neck when she bent her head to kiss him. Then she knew what she had to do.

Emily looked up from her half eaten plate of food, and noticed Vivian taking Jacob somewhere. Assuming the baby needed to be breastfed, she looked back down at her plate, shuffling her food around. Emily hoped Willem was safe.

Jacob was quiet as Vivian unlocked the door to her healer's shed. She placed the baby in his rocker, and prepared the necessary materials. Moments later, she had made the same silvery liquid she used for looking at her visions, and lit some incense. Jacob was spiritually stronger than she could ever hope to be, and he would help her reach Gabriel.

She picked up the tiny boy, who had fallen asleep, and held him against her chest, over her heart. Vivian took deep, cleansing breaths, and looked at the silvery liquid. Moments later, she was back in the realm.

_Jacob was there waiting. He was six years old. "Come on Mama, we don't have a lot of time." The little boy bent over; as she had seen her pack members do so many times before, and changed. _

_Vivian's heart stopped as she watched her son go through the motions. She watched the black fur cover him, as rich and dark as his father's, and smiled when his spine popped into place. His golden eyes caught the rays of the moon, and glinted like they were lit up from within. _

_Remembering she didn't have much time, Vivian changed, and felt the moon pendant swing against her chest. Jacob looked at her, and she bowed her head. He would be her leader. They raced into the thick foliage of the forest to go look for Gabriel. _

_They would guide him home._

-------------------------------------

The pair had stopped to take another rest, when Gabriel had a strange dream. In his dream, he saw a gorgeous golden _loup-garou_ trailing behind a raven haired pup. He was still a human. "Vivian?"

The golden haired one walked up to him, and licked his face. His heart stammered, and he was happy again. Then she nudged him to stand. But as soon as he stood, Gabriel woke up. He opened his eyes, but closed them again desperately. He wanted to see that dream again. Gabriel exhaled deeply, knowing that was impossible.

He was about to get Nathan when he felt a gust of wind brush against his face. Maybe he was delirious, but Gabriel could have sworn it felt like Vivian. She liked brushing her palm against his ever present five o'clock shadow. Then he felt a gust of wind against his leg. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening. It had happened once before, when he had found Delilah. Somewhere a spirit was forcing him to react. It was guiding him.

"Nathan…" The green eyed_ loup-garou _sprang up, and joined him. "We have to go." Gabriel doubled over, and changed. Nathan didn't ask him where they were going, noticing the determination in his eyes. They weren't lost anymore.

The search party ran as fast as the wind itself, and held back triumphant howls as they saw the edge of the forest. They thundered onwards, stopping only to open the plastic box hidden behind a bush, and collected their clothes. Willem was barely dressed, the sides of his button-down shirt mismatched, when he ran into the living room.

Emily saw him enter, and ran into his arms, laughing and crying. The rest of the pack females ran outside to be reunited with their friends and partners. Then Willem stopped, looking for a familiar pair of golden eyes. "Where's Vivian?"

"Where's Jacob?"

-------------------

Mother and child were sitting on a rocking chair. She was looking up, daydreaming, and breathing deeply. He was asleep in her arms. The heavy musk of incense permeated in the room, but still she kept rocking on the chair. The pack members were looking through all the rooms in the inn for her. Then Esmé called them to order.

"Your alpha female is capable. She had to get out of here for a moment, to clear her head." They all stopped their search, and went to the living room, to wait. Esmé caught Aunt Persia's eyes, and they both bowed their heads, hoping that Vivian wouldn't be in the realm for much longer.

_It was surreal running with Jacob by her side, her mate trailing in front of her. Occasionally he would get sidetracked, having to hide from some Guards, but she always stopped and gave him a nudge to continue. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her gentle reassurance. _

_Then they were close enough that Gabriel knew exactly where they were. He went ahead. Jacob stopped, letting the two older males move on, and Vivian paused next to him. They changed back to their human forms, but they were fully dressed. He was wearing a white shirt and pants; she was still in her white nightgown._

"_You have to go now, Mama."_

"…_Thank you, baby." Jacob looked down at the floor, grinning. Then looked up at her and threw his little arms around her knees. Vivian kissed his curls, but then was forced back to the real world._

Vivian gasped, not sure of how long had passed. She looked down at her baby boy, but he was still asleep. Vivian felt her eyes well up with tears, but wiped them away quickly. She was proud of her son, but needed to move on. She got up, holding her baby close, and stepped out of the shed.

Esmé was standing out there already. She took the sleeping baby from her daughter's arms. "Go to him, Viv" she said, handing Vivian a pair of jeans. Vivian turned on her heel, forgetting that she could get there faster as a _loup-garou._

She ran as fast as she could, feeling her muscles clench and release with the effort. Gabriel was close. She could smell his scent, the same scent that was ingrained into her being. Nathan broke out of the forest before him, leaving Gabriel to finish hiding the tracks. He found his pants where he had left them, and pulled them on, limping back to the inn.

Gabriel was half human, half _loup-garou_, and bent over to wipe away the oversized wolf prints. The breeze blew in a smell of warm vanilla, incense, and sweat. His heart skipped a beat, and he turned around. Vivian was bounding towards him, running as a human. He would have met up with her, but he was frozen on the spot.

Not having seen her for a few days, he had forgotten exactly how much power she had on him. He was suddenly weak at the knees, and couldn't breathe. Vivian had tears in her eyes as she pounced on him, her legs wrapping around his waist familiarly. His lips met hers, and they were frantic. Vivian could taste the exhilaration and lust. He could taste her sweetness and the salt from her tears.

Finally she slowed down, kissing the scratches on his face and neck, and he pulled on his pants with one hand while he held her up with the other. Gabriel wouldn't let go of Vivian for a while, and he walked with her, as a human, all the way to the inn. She locked her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his neck. "Te amo," she whispered into his ear, and he trembled.

"Oh, baby."

---

The pack members were seated on the sofas and chairs that had been pulled into the living room, anxiously awaiting the return of their leaders. The tension was electric. Finally Vivian and Gabriel walked in, their fingers laced tightly.

Everyone paused, not sure who was going to speak first. The television which had been blaring news for the past few days was playing a commercial about a car dealer in town. The pack leaders stood in front of the television, and Ulf turned it off with the remote from where he was on the couch.

"As many of you are aware, the Reserve Guard has been called in to investigate some strange sightings in the park. We did well to leave behind as little evidence as possible, but there is still the matter of what they were looking for," said Gabriel.

"I have reason to believe the disappearances were caused by a different Wendigo," said Vivian, looking at the business card on the coffee table. The freshly bandaged Nathan was sitting next to his brother, who took his hand firmly.

"Before I make any decisions, I want to know what you think. I will not act without my pack's consent," said Gabriel, his golden eyes looking at all of the people in the room. "We can't let the Guard face the Wendigo on their own, but maybe that is not our battle. What say you?"

"I say we fight. Those stupid humans would be ripe for the slaughter out there alone," growled Ulf, getting up suddenly. Everyone voiced their approval.

"There's no doubt we should fight… But if there was some way to get the Guard on our side or at least off our trail…"

"That's impossible, Will."

"I know, but I'm just saying that would make things a lot easier." Several voices spoke up at once, and Vivian was having a hard time hearing all of them. Gabriel held her hand tighter, growing impatient, but still determined to hear every option.

Her eyes once again settled on the black and white card. "I have an idea," she said, not loud enough for the pack to hear, but just loud enough for her mate to listen.

"What is it, baby?"

"…Aiden." Gabriel scrunched his brow, not sure where she was coming from, but willing to hear her out. "He said I should call him, and that he was willing to help. Maybe there is a way to get _them… _the Guard… on our side." Gabriel nodded, raising his voice to end the discussion.

"That's enough for tonight. A lot has happened, and we should rest." Finally the voices died down, and in silence the pack filed out of the living room.

Gabriel followed Vivian up the stairs and down the hall to their room. She glanced at him, then at the open door in their room that led to the nursery. He let go of her hand and walked in, stepping closer to the crib. He smiled, seeing Delilah changed into a baby _loup-garou_, asleep next to Jacob.

"They're so small," he whispered, picking up a blanket and covering both of them with it. Vivian's cool hands pressed against his muscled stomach and pulled him away from the crib, and pushed him into the bathroom, where a warm bath was already running.

Later, when they were clean and relaxed, when she had cleaned his wounds and made up for his absence,Vivian and Gabriel settled into their bed. Vivian rested her head on the soft spot between his shoulder and chest, breathing him in. She could feel that heat coming off his skin, burning her. Gabriel had one hand tangled her long gold hair, and a happy rumble caught in his throat.

_AN: I apologize again for the wait, but this is something I think is worth posting. Please review!_


	21. Chapter 21

Hi!

Thank you for expressing interest in my story. Or at least enough interest to bother writing me back about it. To be honest, I wrote this fanfiction last summer when I was inspired and I've lost most of that initial spark of interest. I'm in my Senior year of high school and I've been super busy with deciding what college I'm going to and trying to survive this year. But that doesn't mean I've given up on this fanfiction. I will eventually re-read the book and finish what I've started.

Now, if only there was some way to reassure everyone else of this.

Thanks again!  
- Patty 


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